Multi-colored Asian Lady Beetle flights under way

By GARY TILGHMAN

GLASGOW — Here are some points to keep in mind as Asian Lady Beetles move to wintering sites.

Lady beetle flights are heaviest on warm sunny days (after a period of cold weather) when temperatures climb above 60 degrees F. They tend to congregate initially on the sunnier, southwest sides of buildings in mid-afternoon. Structures that are shaded and not brightly illuminated by afternoon sun are less likely to attract the beetles.

Once the beetles alight, they attempt to enter crevices and other dark openings in search of hibernation sites. These locations may be anywhere on the structure, but especially beneath exterior siding, around window and doorframes, soffits, fascia boards, and through weep holes and attic or crawl space vents. Sealing exterior cracks and openings with caulk, screening, weather stripping, etc., is the most effective long-term, prevention against beetle entry. We have a nice bulletin, ENTFACT-641 How to Pest-Proof Your Home, available on line or at the Barren County Extension Office.

Once the beetles are indoors, the best way to remove them is with a vacuum cleaner. When brushed or handled the beetles often secrete a yellowish-orange fluid, making vacuuming a better option for indoor removal than brooms, mops, etc. Insecticides applied indoors tend to be ineffective and may stain or leave unwanted residues on walls, counter tops, and other surfaces.

While sealing exterior openings is the more permanent means of denying ladybug entry, pest proofing is time-consuming and impractical for many clients.

According to Dr. Mike Potter, UK Entomologist, if a household or business continues to be troubled by lady beetles, owners may want to enlist the services of a professional pest control firm. Some companies offer pest proofing services and many offer insecticide treatment of the building exterior, which helps to prevent pest entry.

Dr. Potter recommends to homeowners, who are insistent upon applying exterior treatments themselves that they need to use over-the-counter products that are properly labeled for Asian Lady Beetle control. His suggested product list is available at the Barren County Extension Office.

In order to have any benefit, exterior treatments must be applied before the beetles enter buildings to overwinter.

When all else fails, customers should be reminded that lady beetle entry into buildings is a relatively short-term event which generally runs its course by mid-November. The beetles sometimes emit a foul odor, stain indoor surfaces, and occasionally give a "nip" if they land on one's skin. They do not breed or reproduce indoors like fleas or cockroaches, and constitute a nuisance mainly by their presence.



Must test forage for hay crops

While driving our roads this fall, the need for testing this year’s hay has become painfully apparent. While driving I see rows and rows of round hay bales stored outside, with green grass growing on top of the bales. This is due primarily to two factors. First, the hay was made at a very mature stage and had a tremendous amount of viable seed in the seed heads of the hay when baled. This seed ensures that the hay was way past an optimal nutrient value when it was harvested thus reducing quality dramatically.

The second issue is the over abundance of rainfall that we have had this year when compared to others. This additional rainfall has made the hay stored outside deteriorate at a much greater rate than normal and will cause our storage and feeding losses to skyrocket.

Tom Keene, UK Hay Marketing Specialists reminds us that the most economical and efficient feeding use for this type of hay would be to test the hay either with the KDA Hay Testing Program (1-800- 248-4628) or with another certified laboratory (see foragetesting.org for a listing of certified labs). This information would be extremely valuable for a producer to be able to then develop a feed ration according to the class of livestock being fed. For more information, contact me at the Barren County Extension Office. Also as a reminder, keep any additional rainfall off of the hay (by tarping or by storing it inside) would help, as well.

You can also visit our UK Forage Extension Web site at: www.uky.edu/Ag/Forage.

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