Dear Tom,
Help! We live 50 miles west of Chicago and we are experiencing a hoard of ladybugs in our house. This happens every few years in the fall. What causes this?
The Smiths and Frenzens
Dear Smiths and Frenzens,
The flood of ladybugs that you are experiencing is not an occurrence unique to northern Illinois. They are being reported across much of the country. Ladybugs–actually, the multicolored Asian lady beetle–use mild spells in the autumn to seek out sheltered spots (like your house) to ride out the coming cold season. It’s called “overwintering.”
Other than plugging the tiny spaces through which ladybugs gain entry to your house, there’s really nothing you can do. Killing them is not recommended because they are highly beneficial insects–they are very efficient predators of aphids and scales.
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Tom Skilling is chief meteorologist at WGN-TV. His forecasts can be seen Monday through Friday on WGN-TV News at noon and 9 p.m.
Write to: ASK TOM WHY, 2501 Bradley Pl., Chicago, IL 60618 or asktomwhy@wgntv.com (Mail volume precludes personal response.)
WGN-TV meteorologists Steve Kahn, Richard Koeneman and Paul Dailey plus weather producer Bill Snyder contribute to this page.
