b'TRAILS REPORTBy Matt Tetreault, VAST Trails AdministratorAs fall is passing us by and we enterhatched each year. They live to around stick season for all you Noah Kahanthree years if the vacuum cleaner does fanatics, there is one thing for certain.not get them first.The Asian lady beetles, aka ladybirdNow for the anatomy lesson promised species, or Harmonia axyridis if weearlier. The male lady beetles (that are being scientifically correct, havesounds so weird) typically have a certainly graced many of us with theirlighter color marking on their head presence this fall, especially on thoseand thorax as compared to the female. warm October days. We must askThe females are also generally a little ourselves, is this yet another sign thatlarger than the males.it is going to be a cold, hard, snowy winter? Some might say yes. EspeciallyNow we will not even get into the the snowmobile community, where webrown marmorated stink bug. That can look for any excuse to justify what weto the bulbs in your lamps. They canbe saved for another article to come! spend on this activity by saying this orcome in various colors, and are notIf you have made it this far into this that happened, so therefore it is goingalways orange, although the visitorsarticle, I commend you. Your life must to be a good winter. in my house were of the orangebe boring right now because phew, this The Asian lady beetles are certainlyvariety. They are considered anis a lot to ask of even the most avid cute, arent they? Easily mistaken forinvasive species, yet were intentionallyreader. By now, among many other the ladybug. That was a great movieintroduced to help control agriculturalthings, you must be wondering, how with Rodney Dangerfield in casepests such as aphids and scale insects.does this relate to snowmobiling, VAST anyone is wondering. I am great. IWhat has been introduced to controland winter, you ask? Why are you am wonderful. Everybody likes me.them? A vacuum cleaner! writing about this, Matt? Well, it was I must lie to myself with this sayingThese bugs also have a funny smell ifon my mind, and it felt like a relatable often on my ride home from work aftersquished and can leave stains on wallstopic, so I went with it. My off-the-a cruddy day! If you have not seen theand ceilings. For you wine drinkers,wall trains of thought also went to the movie, you will have no clue what Ithey can cause off flavors in winewoolly bear caterpillar when I saw the am referring to, and I do hope it enticeswhen they get into grape clusters. Iclusters of the lady beetles in my home. you to watch the movie. can see it now, 20 years from now,Does a larger-than-normal infestation an expensive and lavish lady beetleof lady beetles mean we will have a Anyhow, those orange bugs huddledwine, aged to perfection with 225 ladycold, hard and snowy winter? Again, together in the corners of your livingbeetles, exactly. Limited edition, onlywe are always looking for some sort room are not ladybugs, but in fact the$125 a bottle. Seriously though, howof justification to buy a new helmet Asian lady beetle. Now why wouldgross. or put some sort of dazzle on our they both have such similar names?sleds, right? If it is going to be a great Just to confuse us. And are they allThe lady beetles, like most insects, likewinter, we are going to need to spend ladies or are some males? Why areto come in through cracks and crevicesthat additional money because we are the male Asian lady beetles calledin your doors and windows when thegoing to be using that sled! I did some lady beetles? How do you tell thenights start getting colder. Leave thoseresearch on lady beetle infestations and difference? Let us not answer thatwindow air conditioners in a few dayswhat it means in terms of forecasting aloud please but ponder on it for atoo long and guess what you get the winter, and the information I minute, quietly in your head. I willan hour-long date with the vacuumfound was interesting. If you want to answer it correctly later, so keepcleaner, sucking these beetles up. Youdo the research yourself, you can, but reading if you have made it this far. can also flick them into a containerotherwise, stay tuned for an answer in I am sure many of you have lookedand release them outside, which is themy article next summer!these things up in a quick Googlemore humane option. Now that you have 5 to 7 minutes of search and figured out ways to identifyThese lady beetles are born fromyour life that just passed you by, that them by the patterns of the black dotsa cluster of yellow eggs and hatchyou will never get back, I hope you all on their backs, which are typically anwithin about three to five days. Theyhave an enjoyable fall, a Thanksgiving M shape or a W, depending onfeed on pests before molting andfilled with family, friends and laughter which way you are looking at them.entering a pupa stage. The pupa stageand some belt-busting turkey dinners, These critters are simply trying tolasts several days before they turnand most of all, I hope there are find a warm place to overwinter ininto adults, where they become theno lady beetles hanging out in the your home, and no, they do not payopposite of our children and instead ofcorners of your home, interrupting the rent or help with the heat. They aremoving out when they become adults,holidays or giving your wine an off a nuisance. Studies show they arethey move ininto your home forflavor! Until next time, get your TMA attracted to illuminated surfaces,warmth! Their entire life cycle fromand get that sled ready, because the which is why they compete withhatching to adulthood takes about alady beetles are telling me it is going to cluster flies in the fall to snuggle upmonth, so multiple generations arebe a great winter season!7 | Snowmobile Vermont'