Now it's a bug...

[slotter]

And, I don't mean one messing up my computer software. I have an Asian Beetle (it's like a ladybug, but stinks and is NASTY) crawling up and down inside the side neon-like lighting on my Giga Fever. I don't see how to get in there to get the d*mn thing out!

I did try turning the machine off and putting a bright light outside the lighting strip to draw the thing out, but that didn't work. (This nasty pest is attracted to heat and light.) :-?

Any thoughts? Is there an easy way to get those strip lights opened up? :cry:

[TatooedLady]

You'd think there'd HAVE to be a way to open it up to replace the bulbs..maybe try following any wires to the general area to see where the lights get power from?

[luckydog]

importing exotic creatures is illegal :lol: :lol: :lol:

[arbycoffee]

when your machine is cold use canned air, and give it a blow, job should be easy

[logicprobe]

We have them once in a while... even before I ever got into pachis. Never noticed a smell from them, though... maybe ours have been de-scented. But we never tried squishing them, either.

And looks like a problem not just here, but in someplace called Iowa, too. :wink:

Is this what you are talking about?

http://www.ipm.iastate.edu/ipm/iiin/ladybeetles.html

[RKnarr01]

isnt that the same thing as a lady bug

[slotter]

Rant on:

No, I wish this were a ladybug. These things were released (supposedly by accident... but some say the envirowhackos let them loose) and they are supposed to control aphids in the crops which they do. But, they infiltrate homes like crazy. They can squeeze down to almost nothing and get into the smallest cracks. They get into homes in the winter by the thousands to keep warm. 4 years ago in NW Iowa there were none of these rotten bugs. Today they swarm and you can't even go outside for a period in summer as they land all over you and get in your hair, etc.

Anyhow, ladybugs are red with spots these nasty b@stards are very orange with spots and discharge a stinky substance whick keeps the predators away from them. They also make a orange mess on the wall when you try to pick them off with a kleenex. They are really bad... They are not in all the states (yet) but they are in several of them now. I use certain chemicals to keep them out, but you can't win with them.

They came from Asia... imported by enviromentalists for aphid control, but because people are so upset about them, now they are claiming they accidentally made it here inside a shipping container. :cry:

[slotter]

More... not that anyone wants to know! :roll:

http://www.ent.iastate.edu/images/co.../asianlady.jpg

Lady bugs surrounding and invading your home by the thousands? millions? It's not lady bugs, it probably the Asian beetle. Asian beetles have become a homeowners worst nightmare. Asian beetles, which are sometimes mistaken for ladybugs or lady bird beetles, are familiar insects in many parts of the United States. For the most part, Asian beetles are beneficial predators that eat aphids, scale, insects, and many other pests that injure plants in gardens, landscapes and agricultural settings. However, in many places the multicolored Asian lady beetle has become a household pest. This beetle feeds on aphids and other soft-bodied insects that dwell on crops and trees. Soybean crops are reportedly a favorite of Asian beetles and when the soybean crops get harvested in late summer/early fall, watch out! Asian beetles will be migrating to find a new place to live and breed. Maybe your home! Of course, spring time is also a good time to have an Asian beetle outbreak. Why do we have such large numbers - sometimes epidemic numbers of Asian beetles? You can thank science and the US government.
The multicolored Asian lady beetle was first recorded as a pest in houses in 1988 in Abita Springs, Louisiana. It had been first released in the early 1900s as a biological control agent; and numerous subsequent releases have been made throughout the United States. Because the beetle was not recovered after this release, it was assumed that it had not established and was incompatible with North American conditions. The source of the 1988 infestation in Abita Springs, LA is unknown; but it is not thought to be linked to the controlled releases.
The "multicolored Asian lady beetle" (Harmonia axyridis), has become common throughout the United States and all of Iowa. It is well known for the annoying habit of accumulating on the sides of buildings and wandering indoors during the fall. Asian lady beetles are a beneficial biological control in trees during the summer, and in fields and gardens during the fall, but can be a severe household nuisance during late fall and winter. Wooded residential and industrial areas are especially prone to problems
The origins of the Asian lady beetles are not clear, although it appears the current pest species was not purposefully released in the United States or in Iowa. Beetles that arrived by accident in ports such as New Orleans in the late 1980s have crawled and flown all by themselves to all corners of the country.
Description
The multicolored Asian lady beetle is 1/3 inch in length; dome-shaped; yellowish-orange to red with variable black spots on the back. Deep orange is the most common color. The 19 black spots may be faint or missing. There is a black “W” shaped mark on the thorax
Asian lady beetles, like other accidental invaders, are "outdoor" insects that create a nuisance by wandering indoors during a limited portion of their life cycle. They do not feed or reproduce indoors; they cannot attack the house structure, furniture, or fabrics. They cannot sting or carry diseases. Lady beetles do not feed on people though they infrequently pinch exposed skin. Lady beetles may leave a slimy smear and they have a distinct odor when squashed.
Asian lady beetles follow their instinctive behavior and fly to sunny, exposed surfaces when preparing to hibernate through the winter. The time of beetle flight varies but is usually from mid-September through October (depending on weather). Light colored buildings and walls in full sun appear to attract the most beetles.

MORE:

Asian beetle threatens trees in N.Y., Chicago
February 18, 1999
Web posted at: 10:47 a.m. EST (1547 GMT)
CHICAGO (CNN) -- Some say a stowaway insect from Asia could end up doing more damage to trees in the United States than Dutch elm disease or the gypsy moth. The Asian Longhorn Beetle has turned up in a New York City borough. And, as Chicago Bureau Chief Jeff Flock reports, it's a problem in that city too.

[luckydog]

maybe they came over in pachinko and pachislo containers :cry: :cry: :cry:

stowaways :twisted:

[TatooedLady]

I thought the only stinky black/orange bug was the box elder bug....my bad.

[TANK]

i've had some minor experience in the design and deployment of <1megaton tactical weapons perhaps we should call a meeting for a couple of beers and a bomb??:lol:

[slotter]

i've had some minor experience in the design and deployment of <1megaton tactical weapons perhaps we should call a meeting for a couple of beers and a bomb??:lol:

Sounds like a plan, Tank!

As it turns out, my tactic to draw it out of the machine's neon lights, with a trouble light worked. He's no longer in there, but likely, he'll be baaaaack. I fight these darn bugs downstairs a lot for some reason. There is a door with a window right by the machines, and I think they like the light and warmth on sunny days in the winter. Then they discover the slots and like them, too! :cry:

[TANK]

back in the old days at the bad place (michigan) about 3 years ago they hit us for the first time... a three foot band along the waterline about 2 inches deep(millions and millions of them) they were in every crack and corner everywhere! last year they were gone!!! not one! they ARE biting b@st@rds!!!! leave great big red welts! like to knaw on soft woods.