Every fall, three things happen here in farm country. Corn and beans are harvested. The leaves turn beautiful colors. And the Asian beetles invade every sunny wall they can find. Lady bugs (red) are useful insects, but Asian beetles (orange) are a pain in the … nose. They stink.
According to the University of Kentucky, they first showed up in the US in the1990s, but I didn't see any around here till the early 2000s. The south wall of my house was been coated with them. The nasty little critters lay eggs in my windows and they hatch on sunny days all winter.
Where did they come from? The Asian Beetle (Harmonia axyridis) is native to China, Russia, Korea, Japan, (hence the name) where it dwells in trees and fields, preying on aphids and scale insects.
Why are they here? During the 1960s to 1990s, the U.S. Department of Agriculture attempted to establish the Asian beetle to control agricultural pests, especially of pecans and apples. Large numbers of the beetles were released in Georgia, South Carolina, Louisiana, Mississippi, California, Washington, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Maryland. No such releases were ever attempted in my area, but bugs don't always stay where you put them. Some scientists believe that current infestations in the U.S. originated not from these intentional releases, but from beetles accidentally transported into New Orleans on a freighter from Japan. Other people think that's bull.
Like dandelions and other imported, invasive species, Asian beetles have few natural enemies in the United States. As a defense against predators, they secrete a foul smelling yellowish fluid from their leg joints when disturbed. (Translation: When you squash them, they smell.)
In the fall, Asian beetles leave their summer feeding sites in yards and fields for protected places to spend the winter. (Again Translation: Your House.) Beetle flights are heaviest on sunny days following a period of cooler weather, when temperatures return to at least the mid-60s. (Final Translation: This week.) Consequently, most flight activity occurs in the afternoon and may vary in intensity from one day to the next.
They're EVERYWHERE!
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