(Dis) Harmonia

Another major fixture of the Land of Giant Spoons are the ladybird beetles, which can be found wandering around almost everywhere (but most commonly near the windows). This particular species, Harmonia axyridis, or the multicolored Asian lady beetle is a common pest of houses in the Northeast. It's an invasive species introduced from, appropriately, Asia. They aren't dangerous, but are a textbook definition of "annoyance pest," mostly due to their large numbers (see the picture below). I've been using the old "pantyhose filter over the hose of a vacuum cleaner" to clean them up in the worst spots, which works very well. Here's a link for more information: http://www.ento.psu.edu/extension/factsheets/multc_asian_ladybeetle.htm