[Shop-talk] Ladybugs (shop related)

[Steven Trovato]

Eric,

I imagine you've probably dealt with this by now.  When you posted 
this, I fired off this email to the NJ DEP:

A property in New Jersey has been inundated with ladybugs.  I have 
read about ways to address this.  I am frequently told that you can't 
kill them because they are protected by law.  While I have no 
intention of initiating a major ladybug genocide, I would  like to 
know if this is actually true and what law or regulation it is that 
states this.  Thank you.

As the wheels of government agencies turn rather slowly, today I 
finally received this reply:

Steve, the ladybugs you refer to are asian ladybugs. There is no law 
preventing you from destroying them.  I use regular household bug 
spray.  Check the web for further information.

This came from from Larry Herrighty <Larry.Herrighty at dep.state.nj.us>

So, if another plague of ladybugs should occur, you have official 
permission to dispatch them as you see fit.  Of course, in your shop, 
I would expect maybe inchworms.  Wouldn't that be more appropriate?

-Steve Trovato
strovato at optonline.net



At 04:30 PM 10/22/2009, eric at megageek.com wrote:
>OK, so I just got back from New Orleans and I found that ladybugs moved
>into my brand new building.  Thousands of them.
>
>It's also "illegal" to kill them.  (but I don't mind if I have to)  But
>this means that I can't find poisons or such for them.
>
>So, what's the best way to get rid of these pests?