# AAAHHHHHHHH!!!! The Ladybugs are invading and now THEY BITE!!! **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 16, 2000, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aaahhhhhhhh-the-ladybugs-are-invading-and-now-they-bite/37093 "2000-10-16T05:42:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Quisling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e47c2d/32.png) [@Quisling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quisling)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2000, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aaahhhhhhhh-the-ladybugs-are-invading-and-now-they-bite/37093/1 "2000-10-16T05:42:35Z")
Ok, I have heard all about the old ladybug invasion deal about how they swarm a house by the millions it seems, and I have been skeptical. But now let me tell you what. There were literally millions of them all over the house for a few days there. And now there are several thousand still hanging out inside the house too. I guess I heard they give off some scent to attract others when they find a safe place but hello! Since when did the little bastards start biting??? Don’t tell me I am crazy either I have for sure been bitten or stung or something by lots of these little suckers, as in watching them walking on my arm and getting bit. What is the deal is this some evolutionary process going on here??? ---
**Author:** ![They\_Call\_Me\_Sneeze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@They\_Call\_Me\_Sneeze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/They_Call_Me_Sneeze)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2000, 9:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aaahhhhhhhh-the-ladybugs-are-invading-and-now-they-bite/37093/2 "2000-10-16T09:04:35Z")
a bug was flying around the light in my room yesterday. i thought it was a fly, or maybe a bee. it was flying up against the light for several minutes when, without any warning, it SWOOPS down and flys right into the base of my neck, freaking me out tremendously. in a heightened state of panic, i proceeded to smack my head, neck, and general upper-body area into a state of near-concussion, and then noticed the bug had been brushed to the floor, where it was wandering around, probably trying to get its bearings. it was a ladybug. it didnt bite me, but probably only because i didnt give it a chance, and promptly opened my window and tossed it outside so it could fly, fly, fly away home. they have gotten vicious (sp?) i believe. do you think it has to do with their color? i always thought ladybugs were red with black dots (that is what the beanie baby is, anyway), but lately i have noticed they are more of an orange, and the dive-bomber was actually kind of a lime color. maybe they finally got tired of us telling them their houses were on fire and their children all gone, and are finally extracting revenge. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2000, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aaahhhhhhhh-the-ladybugs-are-invading-and-now-they-bite/37093/3 "2000-10-16T13:20:53Z")
Trib had an article over the weekend that these yellowish/greenish ladybugs are a recent introduction for pest control, gone awry. I had one bite me yesterday, but it didn’t really hurt that much. According to this one article, they do not cause any harm to anything inside your house, and are quite effective against aphids in your garden. ---
**Author:** ![Sledman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/839c29/32.png) [@Sledman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sledman)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2000, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aaahhhhhhhh-the-ladybugs-are-invading-and-now-they-bite/37093/4 "2000-10-16T13:38:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Dinsdale \* > \*\*According to this one article, they do not cause any harm to anything inside your house, and are quite effective against aphids in your garden. \*\* But they are quite annoying inside the house… Two words **Shop Vac!!!** ---
**Author:** ![manhattan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manhattan/32/7_2.png) [@manhattan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manhattan)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2000, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aaahhhhhhhh-the-ladybugs-are-invading-and-now-they-bite/37093/5 "2000-10-16T13:40:26Z")
I can’t help but ask if this thread is likely to elicit different responses from the other active thread on ladybugs, located [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=42141). Is it? ---
**Author:** ![flodnak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/838e76/32.png) [@flodnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flodnak)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2000, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aaahhhhhhhh-the-ladybugs-are-invading-and-now-they-bite/37093/6 "2000-10-16T14:06:25Z")
One two three, four five six Seven eight nine, ten eleven twelve The ladybugs twelve At the ladybugs’ picnic One two three, four five six Seven eight nine, ten eleven twelve And they all played games At the ladybugs’ picnic They had twelve sacks So they ran sack races And they fell on their backs And they fell on their faces The ladybugs twelve At the ladybugs’ picnic They played jump rope But the rope it broke So they just sat around Tellin’ knock-knock jokes The ladybugs twelve At the ladybugs’ picnic One two three, four five six Seven eight nine, ten eleven twelve The ladybugs twelve At the ladybugs’ picnic One two three, four five six Seven eight nine, ten eleven twelve And they chatted away At the ladybugs’ picnic They talked about the high price Of furniture and rugs And fire insurance For ladybugs The ladybugs twelve At the ladybugs’ picnic. \ TWELVE! ---
**Author:** ![Myron\_Van\_Horowitzski](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de053/32.png) [@Myron\_Van\_Horowitzski](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Myron_Van_Horowitzski)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2000, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aaahhhhhhhh-the-ladybugs-are-invading-and-now-they-bite/37093/7 "2000-10-16T14:36:40Z")
I was at Perrot State Park yesterday and they were everywhere. And one bit me on the leg! It felt like a mosquito bite, but later there was no welt or itching. I guess they don’t use any noxious venom or saliva. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2000, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aaahhhhhhhh-the-ladybugs-are-invading-and-now-they-bite/37093/8 "2000-10-16T15:10:35Z")
Shades of Tippi Hedron! ---
**Author:** ![Olentzero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/90ced4/32.png) [@Olentzero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Olentzero)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2000, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aaahhhhhhhh-the-ladybugs-are-invading-and-now-they-bite/37093/9 "2000-10-16T15:42:57Z")
I was bitten by a lone rogue ladybug late last summer and Mrs. O doesn’t believe me. Now I got backup! Thanks, you guys. As for why, the heck if I know. Blew my mind when the little bastard sank his choppers into me in the first place. ---
**Author:** ![Soup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/977dab/32.png) [@Soup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soup)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2000, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aaahhhhhhhh-the-ladybugs-are-invading-and-now-they-bite/37093/10 "2000-10-16T16:13:54Z")
Wow! What a relief! I thought I was the only victim! I was having lunch outdoors with some co-workers when a ladybug landed on my finger. I said to everyone, “Aww, look at the cute ladybug ow ow OW!!!” They all thought I was kidding! ---
**Author:** ![manhattan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manhattan/32/7_2.png) [@manhattan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manhattan)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2000, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aaahhhhhhhh-the-ladybugs-are-invading-and-now-they-bite/37093/11 "2000-10-16T22:23:34Z")
I’m going to go ahead and lock this one up. For biting ladybugs, please refer to the thread I linked earlier.