Topics include information about computer aided decision making, sustainable agriculture and natural resource management, and pest management. The Asian ladybeetle has been a nuisance this past fall when it invaded houses. Masses of these small shiny beetles invade homes in the fall, looking for sites to spend the winter. Ladybeetles are not bad bugs, though, so they should not be killed. They are important predators in agricultural systems.
Ladybeetles usually eat aphids and other small insect pests.
The Asian ladybeetle was the dominant ladybeetle predator in alfalfa during the late summer and early fall of 1994. This beetle was first reported in Virginia two years ago, so its rate of increase is remarkable. It is now believed to have been accidentally introduced, possibly on a ship or with some containerized product. Another ladybeetle from Asia, the seven-spotted ladybeetle, is the most common ladybeetle found in alfalfa and the dominant species during the spring and early summer. This beetle was accidentally introduced and was first reported in Virginia in 1984.