On Sat, 01 Sep 2012 12:01:19 -0500, Sky >
wrote:

>On 9/1/2012 11:34 AM, Brooklyn1 wrote:
>>
>> I get a swarm of lady bugs in my house in fall too, they don't do
>> damage and don't stay long, meanwhile they are great entertainment for
>> my cats. This year my property is over run with praying mantis...
>> when I'm clearing brush they leap out like helocopters, big suckers.
>
>There's a visual difference between native USA 'ladybugs' vs. "Asian
>lady beetles" albeit very slight. The non-native 'Asian lady beetle'
>bites, and its bite definitely hurts - I know from personal experience!
> It's the 'Asian lady beetle' that swarms to homes and buildings in the
>fall looking for winter shelter. Oh, the 'Asian lady beetle' will cause
>a stink/odor if they're crushed, so it's best to use a vacuum to get rid
>of them.
>
>I Googled "asian lady beetle vs. ladybug differences usda edu". One
>reference is <http://www.ipm.msu.edu/beetlefaq.htm> that some folks may
>find helpful.

Interesting. I don't know what kind I have but each year they arrive,
stay a few days and depart. There aren't thousands but certainly a
few hundred. They seem to congregate on the south wall. If they bite
I've never been bitten. I've never noticed any odor but then I don't
crush them. Bugs don't bother me, I leave them be and they always
tend to disappear... I think the spiders get them.