I mentioned in another thread somewhere about how I had only seen one ladybug since I moved here, and knew that people bought them for their yards, but research leading up to that said the types sold are invasive and aren't native to the places where they are being sold. So I did a little more research for New York State, and found The Ladybug Project, which sold larvae last year for C. novemnotata, the NYS ladybug that has nine dots on it that's highly threatened. They're affiliated with Cornell. So although I have the scars and bruises that disputes, it doesn't hurt to ask, I emailed and said, any chance of doing the same thing in 2017, I wasn't here in 2016? A few days later I received an email saying they are going to do it in 2017, but they have to tweak how they're doing it. Their reasons were a little cryptic, but as best as I can figure, it probably messes with their tax exempt status, so they have to start an independent non-profit business to sell the larvae, to expand the reintroduction to neighboring states as well.

But it won't stop there. They say this business will expand in the future to include other parts of North America and "other dwindling species of ladybugs." I thought that was very good news, and wanted to share -- also hoping this thread will be one more place that comes up on a Google search so no one makes the mistake I almost made by buying the wrong ladybugs from the wrong people.

Good idea to check the type of ladybug before buying. I am inundated with non-native ladybugs that over-winter in my house, and die off in masses in the early spring. My local nursery told me that 'our' native ladybugs winter in the mountains and most likely all the dead ones I am vacuuming up are not natives. I've never purchased ladybugs myself, so these must be from others around me.

Well, I thought I made it pretty clear in my post, but now that I can post links, try this on for size:

http://www.newsday.com/news/re...

Apparently the ladybug native to my area (PNW) has no spots. I usually see spotted ladybugs and will keep my eye out for the true natives.

http://www.realgardensgrownati...

Well, they finally decided on a name for the "business" -- here's the email:

Lost Ladybug Rescue

We hope you like this name and we are so sorry it has taken us so long to make this announcement!

We enjoyed thinking about all the wonderful business name suggestions you generously sent in. But somehow Lost Ladybug Rescue - no doubt inspired by your suggestions and enthusiasm - was the one that stuck. It's easy. It engages people's wish to help - which many of you also pointed out.

Thank you all SO VERY MUCH! We will write again as soon as the new website is up. The colony is slowly growing again and we will keep you posted about when we expect to begin shipping in 2017.

Happy Spring!

Dr. Rebecca Rice Smyth
Lost Ladybug Project
Insectary Building
Cornell University
Ithaca, NY 14853
www.lostladybug.org

I'm really looking forward to this, I've seen all sorts of things, and been bitten by them, too, but not one ladybug.

When I was a boy, pre-teen , long ago, I opened up a upstairs window in the spring in my grandparents farm house.
This was in a service stair-way and there fore rarely opened. I found it full of hibernating Lady Bugs and this was long before the invasive Lady Bug paranoia hit.
All lady bugs are beneficial, all bite and this year I had a lot again.
They do a real number on Colorado Potato Bugs.
Here in my part of Minn. there are a myriad of types and I do not know which are supposed to be here.
I bought larvae some years ago and read the instructions on where to put them so more stick around.
Don't now how many did but I have a few doing that now.

I'm in the Pacific NW. I have never 'planted' ladybugs but for the past several years I've been getting an inordinate number of lady bugs wintering over inside the house. Many of them die before or shortly after they do whatever they do over the winter. I spoke with a local nursery who told me our native ladybugs typically winter in higher elevations, then come down when they wake up. I don't know much about bugs. My guess is the inside over-wintering ones are not natives, but I don't know if they threaten my actual natives. I do end up vacuuming up a lot of corpses every spring.

Do they bite humans? Any reaction? I've never heard of that, but I'm not much of a bug magnet.

They literally bite, i.e. pinch your skin.
Not sure why but I learned when I was a little boy not to let them get under your T-shirt, if they cannot keep on motoring about , they bite.
Just annoying that is all.

I have seen very few Ladybug this year so far, not good.

I am having a very difficult time understanding this thread! This much I know about Lady Bugs, no matter what version: They do not bite! They do not crawl under your T-Shirt and bite! They are harmless except to aphids. I further know that if you purchase them for your garden, they will be gone the next day or shortly thereafter! Who cares if the Chinese version is invasive-if they control aphids, bring them on! Or, just slap a huge trade tariff on them! LOL. When we were kids, we were told or heard about all kinds of crazy things, like darning needles would sew our mouth shut, bats would build a nest in our hair, and on and on. In the Fall here, they will swarm our house, hundreds, and every chance I have, I catch as many as I can with a folded sheet of paper, and throw them inside the house. We see them all winter long, even have some great pictures of a "meeting place" on the kitchen ceiling with ten or more assembled in one small spot. Some actually survive in our house over winter, and in the Spring as soon as it is warm enough, we let them out. Note: Had a ceiling LED light replaced last year, and outfell the corpses of quite a few! They must love the warmth of those ceiling light fixtures! Luv Lady Bugs from any country!!!

Frank, I think you are wrong about the biting issue. I've never had a problem with ladybugs biting but a quick online research seems to support that they will in fact bite, the Asian ones more so than our indigenous ones.

As one who has been bitten many times, first time when my age was still in single digits, they do bite and it does get your attention.

I am wondering if I will see any this fall.
I saw my first wasp in weeks yesterday, even Spotted Potato Beetles that wreaked havoc on my Tomatillos last year were scarse.
I saw three and I had more plants for them to go after.
Weird, and sad.
The only thing I saw that I did not expect were Dragon Flies already in June down South.

I have also been bitten by ladybugs, but I still love having them around. I occasionally buy them for my greenhouse plants. Most times it takes them 4 or 5 days to finish off my aphids and leave. They do stick around long enough to lay eggs before they finally fly out the vents and go elsewhere.Then I have another generation to help out.

They're BAAAAAACK!

I haven't seen any ladybugs, other than 1 or 2, in ages. I've been taking that as a good sign meaning I must not have any aphids for them to eat. (Could be wrong.)

At a local garden center last week I noticed that they had some 'packages' of ladybugs in the cooler. So some customers must be requesting them.

I didn't know that there are ladybugs specific to different areas. Very interesting. Thanks for the info, Abbey.

Got my first bite of the year today.

Definite lack of Lady Bugs this fall, this does not look good.
I did see a lot of bees in my Chrysanthemums.

I saw a couple ladybugs down at the cabin today. First I've seen in awhile.

I saw a few, very, very few this year including this fall when they usually are numerous.