Ladybugs Swarming Southern US; Second Insect Invasion Reported Across Region in ‘Perfect Storm' [VIDEO]
A record number of ladybugs are swarming Southern states.
The insects, usually associated with good luck, normally surface in larger numbers at this time of the year but weather conditions have caused the population of the multi-colored Asian Lady Beetles to soar.
"We have perfect weather conditions, and a large food population," entomologist David Cook told UPI. "This is a perfect storm."
Though ladybugs are usually harmless, in large enough quantities they can become a problem.
When outdoors, the bugs can be beneficial for helping control plant pests, including aphids. Once indoors their "reflex bleeding," which they use to prevent predators from eating them, can stain walls, fabrics and paint. They are also able to attract other insects, such as spiders.
The bugs can also pose another problem if those trying to kill them swat at them.
"They will stain if you try to kill them-they actually exude an orange blood, as it were, and it does smell bad. So if you're trying to get rid of them, use a vacuum cleaner; don't try and swat at them," Harvey Cotton, chief horticulturist at Huntsville Botanical Gardens in Alabama, said.
The ladybugs are the second insect invasion to reportedly be affecting Southern states. Enstars previously reported earlier this week that states from Florida to Texas have seen invasions of Tawny Crazy Ants, which multiply quickly and can take up residence around electrical equipment, inside car engines and under floorboards.
