From September to
November Asian ladybugs leave their homes in trees to find warmer hiding spots
in Lawrence residents homes. Brought to Lawrence to control the aphid
population this past June, these unannounced visitors are causing a reaction to
fall and winter allergy sufferers. The significant increase in allergic
sensitization to Asian ladybugs has Lawrence residents fighting an airborne
allergen problem that won't go away.
Attracted
to light colored houses that get a lot of sun, Asian ladybugs move indoors when
it starts to get cooler outside. They find warmth by piling up on each other in
crevices and corners of rooms.
Kentucky
St., Lawrence resident, Jane Wilson said Asian ladybugs must be doing more harm
than good in Lawrence considering the amount of people frustrated with this
insect invasion.
"About
a week ago they covered every corner in my room," Wilson said. "They just keep
coming by the dozen, and they bite."
Pete
Haley, owner of Haley Pest Control said the ladybug problem keeps getting worse
because the ladybug population increases significantly each year.
"This
past year we've seen a 'up pick' in ladybug related cases," Haley said. "People
are calling them 'devil bugs.'"
The
worst case Haley has dealt with involved about 800 ladybugs inside the home,
and 6,000 to 10,000 on the exterior.
"They
are annoying and hard to kill because they can fly," Wilson said. "When I do
kill them they leave a rusty yellow liquid and it smells terrible."
At
a 2006 "American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology" meeting in Miami
Beach, a group of investigators concluded that Asian ladybugs cause allergic
reactions in areas where they swarm in high concentrations.
Asian
ladybugs release a foul yellowish orange-colored fluid as a defense measure.
Proteins from this fluid become airborne causing allergic symptoms in
people.
Sally
Arnold, Nurse at the Lawrence Asthma and Allergy clinic said the fluid released
causes allergic symptoms similar to cockroach and cat sensitivity.
"Patients
have complained about a runny nose, coughing, and itchy eyes," Arnold said.
"The problem now is that we don't have an extract to treat them."
Local
allergy clinics currently have no access to extracts, like a skin test, to
treat patients describing symptoms of the increasingly common ladybug allergy.
"I
had one man come in saying he knew he was allergic to the large amounts of lady
bugs at his work," Arnold said. "We just don't have any test available to prescribe
any sort of medicine for people."
Medications
used for such allergic symptoms would be used the same way a patient would be
treated for pollen, pet dander, and dust mite allergies.
Instead
of smashing the ladybugs to get rid of them, University of Kansas Entomologist,
Chip Taylor suggests another type of removal that may eliminate the chance of
having an allergic reaction.
"Generally
people should not have a lot of contact with these insects," Taylor said. "If
they do become a problem, simply vacuum them up."
The
Asian ladybugs want to hibernate in a protected area when it starts to get cold
out, our homes have become their protection, Taylor said.
"Somehow
this allergy problem surprises me, but somehow it doesn't," Taylor said. "If
our houses are not securely sealed it's easy for them to get in and bother us,
but it's partially the person's fault if the construction of the house is too
old."
To
prevent ladybugs from getting inside, seal off potential entry's by taping or
caulking windows and doors. There is the possibility of clogging a standard
household vacuum cleaner when vacuuming the ladybugs so calling pest control
may be the best alternative if the problem continues.
Haley
Pest Control charges about $100 depending on the house and how many ladybugs
there are.
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