Killing harlequin ladybirds

[murphy99]

Anyone know how to get rid of them, we have them gathering in our loft and want rid of them?

Thanks Helen

[starloc]

Why not just ignore them?, i cant see them doing any harm

they will just be looking for a home for the winter , they do great work of killing greenfly, even better than the std ladybirds do. With all the pesticide bans going on we need all the predators we can get to kill the pests

[murphy99]

aren't they condidered a pest?

I have read they are stinky and bite , not sure they are something that I would like to share my home with. I am not talking about one or two but loads of them and I have read they bread really fast too!!

Wouldn't be bothered if they are outside but not keen on them taking over my house!

[Jeanied]

I have to agree with starloc - they won't eat anything in your loft! Would you have reacted this way if it was the regular 7 spot ladybird? If you really can't stand them why not sweep them up and put them back outside in a warm place where they may hibernate - shed, woodpile etc? However, they found their way in somehow, so you will have to block that off too.

[murphy99]

I would want to get rid of anything making a home in my loft, especially in large numbers

[organic]

Ladybirds can stink when together in large numbers.
As for them being "better" than native ladybirds at aphid killing, that may be, but they are an invasive species and though there's not a whole lot we can do to get rid of them, any help they get is another blow against the natives.

Personally I'd rather see natives than harequins.


Murphy -I do wonder, how do you know they are harlequins? Some of the forms the harlequin takes can look similar to some natives at a glance.

[NSB]

I contacted the lady bird association last year as we had thousands on our runner beans and the man I spoke to there said if you do anything make sure they are harlequins as they are very very simisliar to our natives. better of just leaving them there. Sorry cant help

[Nicos]

OK- so now I'm really confused????

I thought Harlequin were invasive and threatened our native species???..why on earth would we want to protect them????...they're a bit like grey squirrels

Didn't we discuss this a couple of years back- and were actively encouraged to destroy/report them????

(I've not seen even ONE ladybird here- no matter what type)

(If I remember correctly- the Harlequins actually feast upon our native lady bird......sorry folks..I'm for the native/underdog here...can't be doing with bullying/dominance of any form)

[NSB]

This is the lnk the lady bird society gave me

Harlequin Ladybird Survey - home

[murphy99]

I have compared them to the pictures on this site and they are big darker than the normal ones with lots of spots! We had lots of little native ones in the garden over the summer and was happy to see them , but these are not them. I have filled in the survey on the ladybird site but no-one says how to get rid.

We have vacuumed them up and put them outside away from the house, but the vacuum hasn't killed them! They are venturing out of the loft and into the bedroom below getting through the gap between the loft hatch and the ceiling, this worries me as that means they can get into the main house and may not confine themselves to just the loft space.

I must admit I thought we were told a couple of years ago to watch for them and make sure they didn't get into your home as they were a pest! I am sure we were being told they were bad

Bad or good , I don't want them in my house... I will make some calls tomorrow and see what can be done.

Thanks
Helen

[murphy99]

Oh I also remember being told not to squish them as they stink!

[Jeanied]

I'm still for the leave them alone argument. As far as I can make out Nicos the jury is still out on the Harlequins. IMHO there isn't enough research yet to prove that the Harlequins are a competitor or a threat/ predator to our native 7-spots- which is why they are doing surveys etc. It is similar to the squirrel debate: however having had a really bad aphis-filled summer this year (they did for my apple crop) - I am happy for any ladybird to come along harlequin or native and I seemed to have both! (As for creatures making their home in our lofts - well you know where I stand on that one!!)

[grannymem]

Just googled harlequin ladybirds and found several entries about this invasive creature:

'The Harlequin ladybird is putting over 1,000 species in the UK in peril, scientists have warned. "The rate of spread is dramatic and unprecedented," said Dr Helen Roy of the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology.
The ladybird has spread to most parts of the UK in just four years, preying on many other insects." ' That was from the BBC in June but there are plenty of other sources pretty much saying the same. Personally, I wouldn't want to encourage them!

[Jeanied]

This one still seems to be a hot debate! Here is another point of view!
Aida Edemariam on foreign species taking over our ecosystems | Environment | The Guardian

[FB.]

Hmmm, so it's the one's with lots of spots that are troublesome.
For the first time this year, I have noticed that of the ladybirds eating the aphids on my plants, a small proportion (about 10%) are these new one's.

Maybe someone should post a poll;
Should us "organic" growers kill these imposters, or should we be glad of the extra aphid-eating assistance?