(2009-10-19) Frost Warm Yellow Jackets Lady Bugs

We've had almost a week of frosty mornings. Today it got very warm by mid-day. Not only are there still Yellow Jacket-s buzzing around, but now there's an explosion of Lady Bug-s, esp at the front of the house - when you open the door, some fly in.

• Oct20: someone just told me they're not the nice Lady Bird, but rather the Asian Beetle. Introduced to this country by the USDA to try and control aphid populations. They bite, and secrete a nasty poison when scared or stomped on. Nice Side Effect case. From the exteriors of buildings they crawl under siding and roofing and into cracks and gaps in foundations and around windows, doors and other openings. They may continue to move into the living areas of homes or they may spend the winter inside the attic or wall voids. Mild, sunny winter days can wake these dormant insects. They become active and move into the home's living quarters. Once spring arrives, the remaining lady beetles wake up and attempt to move outdoors. Not all succeed and many are trapped indoors.

I've been vacuuming them up as I find them, except for those I can't reach.

There are traps you can use to "collect" them inside, then drown them.