Ladybugs infest rooms on campus

By Emily Kramer

For the Daily

Engineering freshman Kavon Stewart, a native of Jamaica, had never seen the delicate flight or bright colors of a ladybug before moving to the University's North Campus. Now, living in one location where ladybugs seem omnipresent, Stewart shares his residence hall room with many of the campus critters.

"There are at least eight in my bedroom at night," Stewart said. "They are attracted to the light so they climb up the walls and just stare at the light."

Recently, Central and North campuses have been infested with clusters of yellow or red and black ladybugs, and Stewart and other students on North Campus are bugging out over the ladybug invasion.

Mark O'Brien, the collection manager for the University's Department of Entomology, said he agrees with the presumption of the students on North Campus, where woodlands and open areas with lots of plant life are prime for ladybugs.

The weather has sustained the survival of ladybugs, he said. Constant rain during the summer provided plentiful food sources, and warm fall weather has kept ladybugs outside.

"After the first good frosts, the ladybugs will find a place to hibernate or die," O'Brien said.

But for now yellow and black are almost as prominent as maize and blue on campus.

"If you take a ladle and swoop the air, you can easily catch a bunch of ladybugs," Music freshman Dan Wilansky said.

"I can handle it," Wilansky said. "Oh, who am I kidding? They drive me freakin' crazy!"

Students walking from building to building said as many as five ladybugs usually hop on for the ride.

"The ladybugs latch onto you, and 30 minutes later when you are in class, you feel something crawling on your back, and it's one of those stupid things," Engineering freshman Matt Barron said.

Connie Welch, an LSA freshman living in Bursley Residence Hall, sympathizes with Barron.

"I was outside talking on the phone," Welch said, "and about 30 attacked me! As I was making my way back inside, I noticed dozens of ladybugs all up and down the sides of the doors!"

The insects don't bite or sting, O'Brien said. The Asian Lady Beetle, as it is more commonly called, has had huge success in Michigan. "It is possible that this species is even outcompeting our native species," O'Brien said, adding that ladybugs are visible by the million along the Michigan shorelines.

"The best thing I can tell people," O'Brien said, "is to be patient."

ALEX WOLK/Daily

Ladybugs accumulate outside of East Quad Residence Hall yesterday.