In the south, swarms of Ladybugs during the fall is nothing new, but this year the bugs, also known as Coccinellidae, are especially large, according to the Christian Science Monitor.
"We have perfect weather conditions, and a large food population," David Cook, an entomologist, as well as a Davidson County Extension Agent, told Newschannel5.com in Nashville, Tennessee. "This is a perfect insect storm."
As the temperatures fall, Asian Lady Beetles look for warmth and shelter, and they're drawn to colored structures. They then hibernate for the winter, and have been known to survive being frozen in blocks of ice. Their normal lifespan, however, is only about a year, according to Cook.
When the ladybugs choose your house as their shelter of choice, and they cover it, getting inside the house through cracks, it can be very upsetting.
"There were probably one million of them," Diane Stroud, a resident of Lebanon, Tennessee, told WTVF-TV. "They were all over the porch, the far side of the house, everything was covered."
None of the ladybugs are harmful to humans, though there are approximately 6,000 different species of them.
"It's important to note that ladybugs are not structure-damaging pests - if touched or terrified, they can leave small stains as part of a defense reaction known as 'reflex bleeding,' which is intended to prevent predators from eating them," Carrie Leber, a garden blogger, told the Christian Science Monitor. "But they don't enjoy meals of wood or fabric as other insects do - and I've never suffered a bite, although there are some experts who swear they can land a well placed nip or two."
Ladybugs are known by many as a beneficial bug because they eat aphids and other pests.
"Many ladybird species are considered beneficial to humans because they eat phytophagous insects [plant pests], but not all eat pests of plants, and a few are themselves pests," according to the entomology department of the University of Florida.
Generally, ladybugs are harmless, sometimes beneficial, but can be frightening if they swarm your house or get inside.
Video of a swarm of ladybugs in Tennessee.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
