Yellow Rose Realty

Asian Multi-Colored Lady Beetle, Japanese Lady Beetle, Japanese Lady Bug...all of these are common names for Harmonia axyridis, a common visitor to Smoky Mountain cabin properties windowsills in the late fall.  Like kudzu, japanese honeysuckle, nepalise browntop and english ivy, these little visitors are not native to the United States and love to gather in large groups in an annoying fashion. 

When the weather turns cold, the lady beetles group up in dry places to begin their winter hibernation.  In their native Asia, lady beetles winter in cracks on cliff faces and other naturally occurring cool, dry cubbies. In America, they settle for wintering in house, garages and other buildings.  Being sun lovers, they usually gather on the south side of buildings, and on sunny days, will wander around indoors even in winter.  From North Carolina to Michigan, these clever little beetles find there way into homes day after day.   They get vaccuumed up and the next day they're back - a harmless but somewhat frustrating part of life in these parts.   Luckily, in the spring, the lady beetles all return to the great outdoors and leave houses alone.

Asian Lady Beetles can be distinguished from native Lady Bugs, who prefer not to spend their winters indoors!  Asian Lady Beetles have an 'M' (or 'W' depending on how you are looking at them) on the top of their heads.

So if you meet a bunch of lady bugs on a windowsill or doorframe on your Carolina mountain vacation, know that they're just looking for a place to spend the winter.  They don't bite or sting and while they can be vacuumed up easily, there will probably be more of them the next day.  It's not the sign of a dirty house, just a creative beetle!  Remember all the aphids they'll eat off good garden veggies come summer time and smile at these colorful visitors.