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Ladybug-Like Insect Invasion! ZOMGWTF!

Posted by Jerrold Litwinenko / October 20, 2009

39 Comments

ladybugs torontoImmediately upon reading a BREAKING NEWS ALERT from CP24 (delivered to my email inbox with the headline "Swarms of ladybug-like insects descend on Toronto" and a first line that describes how said bugs are "taking over neighbourhoods throughout Toronto"), I just had to pop outside to see just how much carnage the critters were causing.

Despite CP24's alarmist and urgent tone, they're not exactly "taking over" anything. In the north Annex, there are a few here and there but not enough to form any clusters or create any reason for immediate concern. No poison-bombing, vacuuming, or running for the hills... yet.

Let me know if this one below causes any serious trouble or attempts to take anything over, and I'll be sure to turn him in to the authorities:ladybugs toronto

While they do look a lot like ladybugs, these red/orange/yellow spotted insects are not ladybugs. They're Asian Ladybird beetles (aka Harmonia axyridis) and they were introduced to the wild in North America decades ago - to curb booming aphid populations. They do bite humans, although very few people experience anything more than a minor irritation.

Lead photo by timescan.

Got ladybug-like insect invasion 2009 photos to share? Drop them in the blogTO Flickr pool, and we'll post the best here.

Discussion

39 Comments

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andrewS / October 20, 2009 at 05:59 pm
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They can get pretty terrible outside the city, but I've never seen more than a couple at a time living in and around downtown even when the ladybug/foreign invasive ladybug imitation insects infestations make rural 519ers want to cry.
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Jerrold / October 20, 2009 at 06:06 pm
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They're far more numerous out in the country. A friend of mine tells me he had to shake off a few this morning, within a few seconds of stepping outside.
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L. / October 20, 2009 at 06:28 pm
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Many outside my office today, many many. Around 2:30 I looked out the window, and was like, WTF- invasion. I'd say there was a good 50 outside each window.
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Torontonian / October 20, 2009 at 06:34 pm
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It was just on the CTV news when weatherman Tom Brown
talked about them. The reason for their proliferation
is the unusually warm weather.
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CathyCarleton / October 20, 2009 at 06:50 pm
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It's not just Toronto, I'm located in Ottawa and these little buggers are EVERYWHERE.
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Johnny / October 20, 2009 at 06:55 pm
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Mother nature is striking back!

Go vegetarian while you still can!
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njg / October 20, 2009 at 07:22 pm
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I live in cambridge and there were 50-100 of them on my door this afternoon and getting in my home
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Jane / October 20, 2009 at 07:32 pm
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In 2005 and 2006 in London, ON, they invaded the Western campus and entered dorm rooms. I recall living in Saugeen-Maitland Hall and they covered half my walls and windows. It was disgusting.
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1upper / October 20, 2009 at 07:47 pm
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Jane, that's actually a ladybug invasion that happens every year in London. The whole 4 years I was at UWO, there were ridiculous swarms, they would get stuck inside the overhead ceiling covers and died inside there by the end of the year. You could even open the fire alarm cover and see a handful of them. Because of how grossed out I was by that, anytime I see ladybugs in my apartment now I kill them before they get a chance to breed.
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Alex / October 20, 2009 at 07:52 pm
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The same thing happened about 8 years ago in Orangeville and surrounding area- and then the province had to release extra grasshoppers to take care of the beetles. Or something like that. Either way, invasion!!!!!
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Di / October 20, 2009 at 08:01 pm
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Saw a bunch of them crawling on office windows on 4th floor this morning in mississauga. thought it was weird but not a big deal.
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Derek / October 20, 2009 at 08:09 pm
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One flew in my ear on the bus today -- right after getting the CP24 alert no less... After that, nothing. But there was temporary panic!
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Seanna / October 20, 2009 at 08:40 pm
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I work at Dufferin/Lawrence, and they were EVERYWHERE today. I didn't think anything of it, aside from they were everywhere, however nice to know someone pointing out that it actually is unusual ... it was quite weird...

... I also drove up to Bradford today, and noticed a couple, however may have have come up with th ecar with me (?)

Odd ...
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Amy / October 20, 2009 at 09:29 pm
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I've noticed a lot on the Ryerson campus. They are usually flying or landing in mid air. Giving me the creepy crawlies!
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Dave / October 20, 2009 at 09:43 pm
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Up at UofT Scarborough today there were thousands. It was pretty interesting to see.
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betty / October 20, 2009 at 10:36 pm
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There were a whole lot on the Danforth this afternoon!
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Jenny replying to a comment from Alex / October 20, 2009 at 10:45 pm
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"the province had to release extra grasshoppers"

wait wait wait. The province has a grasshopper cache!? Could we get them to release them for another reason? Like for our own enjoyment? or elaborate races?
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Chris Orbz / October 20, 2009 at 11:30 pm
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I was reading mainstream news reports from Chicago, Connecticut... they're everywhere that got that period of cold weather recently.
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Dobbernation / October 21, 2009 at 02:17 am
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These bugs are HORRIBLE for Niagara Wine Country!
They can't remove all of them from the grapes and end up getting crushed into the wine.
Some serious wine snobs claim they can taste the little lady bugs during certain "vintage years' when the bugs were most pesky!
EGAD!
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Alex replying to a comment from Jenny / October 21, 2009 at 03:55 am
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Hahah okay, okay, maybe I didn't articulate my first comment very well. That said, GRASSHOPPER RACES! One of the candidates for mayor needs to write that into their platform.
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Who*es replying to a comment from betty / October 21, 2009 at 09:17 am
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Those werent the bugs, those were prostitutes.
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W. K. Lis / October 21, 2009 at 09:34 am
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Hope none of them crawl into the nuclear power plants. Can you imagine is someone bitten by a radioactive ladybug! Can you imagine some friendly neighbourhood ladybugman busy crawling around looking for aphids!
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Ratpick replying to a comment from Dobbernation / October 21, 2009 at 10:31 am
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Yup. And back when I worked on a farm (long before current bug hysteria), I was stunned to see how many ladybugs are crawling around in the gain when it comes in from the harvester.

There's a lot more insect in our diet than we think.
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Jonathan / October 21, 2009 at 11:42 am
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They make a very satisfying crunch when you step on them.
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Roger replying to a comment from 1upper / October 21, 2009 at 12:49 pm
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Ladybugs actually don't breed indoors. They come indoors to overwinter.
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Oileanach / October 21, 2009 at 01:35 pm
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So is anyone going to explain where these millions (billions?) of beatles were hiding in preparation for the invasion?
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Oileanach replying to a comment from Oileanach / October 21, 2009 at 01:37 pm
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Oh, man, of course that should be "beetles", of the non-VW type.
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jack / October 21, 2009 at 04:02 pm
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i found it inside my microwave last night when I was half way heating up my dinner.. so weird, don't know where it came from as I lived up on like 40th floor..
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breerion replying to a comment from Dobbernation / October 21, 2009 at 04:05 pm
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Leave em alone! they get rid of aphids so if there's a lot of these guys, then they ate alot of aphids this summer and are getting ready to hibernate.

I'd be interested to taste the ladybug wine though. rasins are mostly fruitfly poo and shedded larva skin so what's the diff? mmm!~
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Jennifer / October 21, 2009 at 05:58 pm
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I love these little guys! I haven't seen any of them anywhere though. Do they not like the Fashion District?
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Bonk / October 21, 2009 at 06:47 pm
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I'll give them something to bite alright!!
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Kevin / October 21, 2009 at 09:58 pm
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I was eating lunch outside in Roncesvalles yesterday and had to go inside because of them. They were flying into our food and faces and all over. It was INSANE!
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Justyna / November 4, 2009 at 02:27 pm
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My friend in Toronto is alergic to the horrible stuff the asian lady birds secrete and is very sensitive to the smell. She is in agony right now because her place is full of them.
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Justyna / November 4, 2009 at 02:27 pm
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These are NOT the cute little ladybugs we remember! They bite! And they killed all the cute ones.
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NOT real name / August 7, 2011 at 12:55 pm
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Have you seen black and orange larva and clutches of yellowish eggs?
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NOT real name / August 7, 2011 at 12:58 pm
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Those are the larva of the asian ladybug
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NOT real name / August 7, 2011 at 01:17 pm
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Try to seal your house as much as you can on the outside, then seal almost all the cracks on your wall inside your house. Even if you try to seal the outside of your house they will almost always find a way through, but if you try to fix the inside of your wall it is more likely that they will be inside your wall and not in your living space.
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ROB FORD / August 7, 2011 at 01:30 pm
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I blame Asians for these bugs. They work like dogs you know.
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NOT real name / August 7, 2011 at 01:45 pm
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My ladybugs have m on them but are not going crazy and I only see like ten. I live in Washington. not washington DC just washington
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