Ladybugs infest, annoy campus

 While many students flocked out of their dorms to enjoy the unseasonably warm weather in late October, unwelcome guests were sneaking inside.

 Crowell Quadrangle resident Cyndie Seraphin, a sophomore, was one of many students who began receiving daily visits from droves of ladybugs. After returning from her classes each afternoon since late October, Seraphin has discovered approximately 40 of the pest  crawling on her ceiling and settling in her closet. "We really hate the ladybugs," Seraphin said, referring to herself and her roommate. "They're harmless, but they're still gross." These ladybug invasions have plagued Duke residents for the past several autumns.

 West Campus Residential Facilities Manager Shawhan Lynch said the problem began when the United States Department of Agriculture released masses of ladybugs to consume aphids, a type of pest that was destroying crops. "Ever since then, we've had more problems with [ladybugs]," Lynch said, estimating that the bugs were released throughout several southeastern states around 2000. "They just come out when it's warm and swarm."

In the past the problem has been especially severe in taller residence halls that block the ladybugs in flight, Lynch said. She cited dormitories in Edens Quadrangle and Houses G and H in Crowell's clock tower as especially susceptible to infestations of the bugs. In response to past infestations, the Facilities Management Department has investigated how best to combat the problem. "The first year they did the release was the worst for us," Lynch said of the Department of Agriculture's actions. "We had to do the research and find out how to deal with them." This year, Residence Coordinator of Edens Jon Acton compiled a list of tips for dealing with the pests. He e-mailed the list to Edens residents in early November, and the residence coordinators of several other quadrangles followed his lead.

 Acton recommended that students tape their window screens to prevent ladybugs from entering the buildings. He also warned that insecticides would be ineffective at stopping the hard-shelled pests. Seraphin said she received a similar email from her residence coordinator. She took the advice of taping her window screen but found that her attempts were futile. "I think they're like ghosts," Seraphin said. "They still get in some way, somehow." Fortunately for students like Seraphin, the swarming will cease when the weather becomes colder and the ladybugs go into hibernation, Lynch said. "We probably won't have any more problems," she said. Before winter arrives, however, students should not be concerned.

 Acton wrote that the insects are harmless and would not feed or reproduce inside the dormitories. The pests are more of an inconvenience than a threat, Lynch noted. "Some people are just scared of bugs," he said. "They're harmless. They won't bite you."