Hogarth's Pest Control specializes in all types of industries, residential and commercial.
The Asian beetle is orange in color with black spots. They are commonly mistaken as the ladybug, which is red. Asian beetles are a common household pest that invades in the late fall and winter. They prefer warm weather and congregate most often on the southwest side of structures facing wooded areas. They do this as a means to get inside of your home, finding weaknesses in the soffit, ridge vent, dormers, and bottoms of siding. Anywhere they can get inside, they will, where they hibernate.
They awaken upon the introduction of warmer temperatures, typically in the spring. In some cases, however, homeowners will notice them on inside the windows of seasonal homes upon turning on the heat. Once inside, they fly into windows until exhaustion and perish. There is no need for a chemical treatment in these cases because only treatment is prevention. Upon an infestation, waiting it out and vacuuming the carcasses is the best option.
Health effects from Asian Beetles
Some individuals are susceptible to eye irritation from Asian beetles; because of this, wash hands and refrain from touching your eyes after handling. In addition to being potentially harmful to humans, Asian beetles are a threat to dogs as well. If a dog ingests the beetles, their tough exoskeleton, made of a tough substance called “chitin” does not break down easily. It is similar to the hull of a popcorn kernel in consistency.
Asian beetles are able to secure themselves to the roof of a dogs mouth, congregating at the palate. Due to their hard, thickened wing covers their rounded shape proves difficult for a dog’s tongue to remove. The yellow, odorous substance mentioned earlier is called hemolymph, and is secreted when they feel threatened. It tastes just as bad as it smells, which is why dogs will attempt to eat more Asian beetles to rid their mouths of the foul taste.
Hemolymph is corrosive and can cause chemical burns in both the mouth and gastrointestinal tract. If the chemical burns are not treated properly, an infection may develop and with time could become serious. While the threat to dogs is there, it is relatively unlikely. Most of the time upon even smelling the hemolymph, canines will steer clear.
Exclusion will help to prevent Asian beetles from entering the home in the fall and prevent an infestation. Sealing where the foundation meets the siding and around windows, along with repairing a popped ridge vent will help keep these fall invaders out. Chemical treatments in the spring are ultimately the most effective means of prevention.
We specialize in this type of eradication and exclusion. If you are experiencing an issue with Asian beetles, do not hesitate to give us a call today!
