Invasion of the 'ladybugs'

Just as many students are beginning to get accustomed to the dorm lifestyle at IU, Mother Nature has decided to throw in another variable.\nMost have gotten used to the long walks, a snoring roommate and even the occasional cockroach they may see near the laundry room. \nBut the bug problem has recently taken on an entirely different meaning.\nThe weather has warmed up, and the insect commonly known as the ladybug has taken over IU. Actually named the "Asian Ladybird Beetle," the little spotted bugs have been wreaking havoc on students whether they are walking to class, trying to eat or just attempting to spend some time in their rooms.\n"Honestly, I think I killed over 15 in an hour the other night," freshman Chase Weigt said. "I think they may be coming in the air conditioner or something. All I do know is that every time I kill one, it seems like another just takes its place."\nThe bugs originally come from Korea and were brought to the country by our own government.\n"(The bugs) were introduced a number of years ago by the (U.S. Department of Agriculture) to biologically control aphids," IU Entomologist Dr. Marc Lame said. "(USDA) thought they would be OK, but they got going slow and the USDA forgot about them."\nIt was only a matter of time, however, before the bugs began to grow in numbers. And as Lame put it, "once they got going, they got going great."\n"They turned out to be much better competition than our own ladybugs, and it turns out that they love this part of the world," Lame said. "They are a much worse pest now than the pests they were brought in to alleviate."\nDespite the name, these bugs are not very "lady-like." Though the myth that these bugs are bad luck to kill isn't necessarily true, ladybugs seem to be using that myth to their advantage to get away with whatever they please. The bugs can bite, produce noxious odors and even cause allergic reaction. \n"I don't care about that old tale about bad luck," freshman Mike Nilles said. "I'll kill them with mirrors if I have to. They are just ridiculous."\nThe reason why so many of the beetles are out now is because this breed requires a frost before going into dispersal. After the past few weeks' chilly weather and now the sudden warmth, it is prime season for an entourage of beetles.\n"They are looking for cracks and crevices for the winter," Lame said.\nAs for methods of destroying these seemingly "super bugs," that is left up to the imagination and frustration level of the beetle's victims. While rolled up newspapers, books, pesticides, shoes and even your own hand provide for instant death to the winged beasts, sophomore Roni Parshall may have found the best method to dispose of the beetles without any gooey messes or bug carcasses to clean up afterward.\n"I've got a dust buster that has become a necessity in my room," Parshall said. "My bed is lofted and they just fall from the ceiling. It's my only line of defense."\n-- Contact staff writer Brian Janosch at bjanosch@indiana.edu.