Just the tiniest bit of research told me that this new visitor should not pose a threat to my orchid, and in fact, tend to eat some more common orchid pests. However- thought I’d check in with the group and confirm that you guys haven’t ever had negative outcomes with ladybugs on your orchids. (Also- where the heck did this guy come from?!? It’s MARCH… in CHICAGO! There’s snow out there! 🤷🏻♀️🤷🏻♀️🤷🏻♀️)
Unfortunately, that is a lady beetle not a ladybug. Ladybugs come out later on in the season and you’ll never see them in your house, lady beetles on the other hand come in your house and any nook or cranny that is warm enough becomes a home for the winter so once the littlest outdoor warmth comes it will wake them “for spring” even though it is still winter so what they do is go eat anything they can find and try to hide again.. now, that poses another issue and it’s because they do not care where, they’ll use your ears, nose, your pets. I vacuum them whenever I see them around, another tip to set them apart is that ladybugs are red and lady beetles are orange and have an “M” mark on their heads unlike ladybugs. Also if you try to grab it will stink. I hope this helps, (they do eat plants too) (specially the expensive ones) (also a pest).
2 likesVery interesting! From my reading, both pose no threat to orchids. Since I’ve seen exactly 1 in the house the entire time I’ve lived here, I don’t think there’s a risk of it becoming an infestation or anything. Sidenote: it’s really difficult to determine if it’s orange or red. It’s like an orangey-red. 😆
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I have purchased ladybugs to eat aphids that I found on my plants, including the orchids, and no harm occurred to the orchid.
3 likesAsian lady beetles are not a threat to plants. Like native ladybugs, they eat lots of pests, especially aphids. They can be a bit annoying when they get inside (they make a scent if threatened or crushed and tend to harmlessly bite humans) but I've never ever heard of them getting in someone's ear or nose. If you ever have aphid issues, move about 5 ladybugs (native or asian) onto the affected plants and you'll be shocked at how well they clear it out. Asian lady beetles can out-compete native ladybugs, so if you find native ones, removing the asian ones can help them out. Both are considered beneficial garden predators though. The m mark on thier head is the most consistent way to ID them, as the red color and other markings can vary a lot between individual beetles
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