Why do Lady bugs go north in the fall

Thank you

Thanks for the facts, I am suprised they come all the way up here to find a warm place

… Letsgome, 22 October, 2012 - 4:38pm

they do not travel more that a few hundred yards at best

they're all around your home, just become much more visible when seeking shelter to spend the cold season

… v belov, 22 October, 2012 - 8:13pm

Ahh

now I see, they hide during the summer and come out during the fall to find a warm place to go.

… Letsgome, 23 October, 2012 - 6:24pm

Not quite

They don't really hide during the summer. In fact, their bright colors warn predators about their awful taste. So, they don't bother hiding. They are scattered here and there, feeding on aphids, laying eggs, etc. If you start looking around, you will see plenty of them. The difference is that they tend to congregate in the fall in their search for warm places. They have an "aggregation" pheromone that brings them together in the fall. Check this.

… Beatriz Moisset, 23 October, 2012 - 8:13pm

so technicly they are around but if you look hard you will see them

… Letsgome, 24 October, 2012 - 2:42pm

Where to look

Look for adult lady beetles and larvae on plants that are infested with aphids. You might find their eggs on the underside of leaves on those plants. The eggs are laid where the larvae will find food (aphids) when they hatch.

… R. Berg, 24 October, 2012 - 3:37pm

I got it, thanks guys

… Letsgome, 24 October, 2012 - 3:41pm

Autumn

Asian ladybugs can become a real nuisance in the fall when they start looking for warm places to hibernate. They don't migrate.

… Beatriz Moisset, 22 October, 2012 - 7:14am

I'm guessing that the critters are there all along...

...but that they're dispersed during the summer. I bet you're noticing them as they gather to find warm places to spend the winter (in my neck of the woods, they congregate on the sunny sides of buildings, becoming very noticeable for a few days until they vanish into their winter quarters).

… Ken Wolgemuth, 21 October, 2012 - 9:19pm