I should research this before saying anything, but it's my understanding that new varieties of ladybugs were introduced to N. America from Asia in order to combat other "pest" insects. As per usual, human meddling did not go as planned and these ladybugs have now, themselves, become pests. They come inside in large populations when temps drop. I was shocked when my grade one students (as well as my own DDs) expressed hatred towards them. I grew up thinking they were special and a sign of luck. However, these kids swear they bite and freak out at the sight of large infestations. I don't really blame them. My youngest lives on the 3rd floor of our house and, in the fall, wakes up to masses of them on the ceiling above her bed.

ETA: your window sill is super cute :-)

Wow. I get only a few. They leave me alone. I usually catch and release outside, but i keft this one in the kitchen.

I still think about the sign of luck.

Invasive Lady Beetles. They also bite. I do not like these imposters.

I haven't had any in my house but all year I've noticed a lot more of them in my yard. I thought it was a good thing.

ETA: They're the red ones.

We see only a few in this house, but in our old house the south wall, especially the lower, light-brick portion, was very attrative to ladybugs in the cold weather. And yes, we would see them inside, but I think they were chill enough (literally and slangily) not to bother us. Outside in warm weather, they could bite but it wasn’t too common.

There are orchards a bit west of us and we heard that the Asian ladybugs were brought in to counter an orchard pest but of course became invasive.

They've displaced some native ladybugs and they like to overwinter in houses (which tends to be lethal for them because it's too warm) but they are still absolutely beneficial pest-eating animals and shouldn't be thought of like murder hornets or giant whiteflies.

They are still good guys. Just in more colors.

The Asian type do bite and also fall into one's cup of tea. They smell bad and taste bad! The sweet little red real lady bugs behave themselves outside, wintering under leaves.

I knew about the Asian ladybugs but didn't know they bite. I'll be on the lookout next summer. Haven't seen any since it got cold.

Norar, what really tastes bad is swallowing a fly that gets in your coffee. Every single Fall when they get in the house, one always goes down my throat. :)

"Regular" ladybugs (there are multiple species) taste/smell the same*. Even the tiny fuzzy ones that you might not think of as ladybugs. They probably all bite, too, but their mandibles are too small to get a noticeable clamp on our skin.

Many insects will bite if you frighten them--you just don't notice it unless they happen to be built for it.

*Yes. I've tested this. No, really. I have.

This explains an odd phenomenon.

The other night I was on my laptop in a relatively dark room (that sounds sad), and I kept getting attacked (dive bombed) in the face by a "ladybug." It was so annoying. And so un-ladylike.

I am not anti-Asian, but they do conjure up some nasty little insects in all those boxes they ship. Bleccch.

Yeah, I did see you mention they are beneficial (albeit not to homeowners per se!) I'm alluding more to stinkbugs.

Ah, yes, stinkbugs serve no purpose. At least not to me. I saw a Murder Hornet at our last house. It was BIG. White Flies - they hatch, live briefly, then stick on your car and/or windows to die, also of no use unless you want to go fishing.

Haven't noticed any ladybugs around here in a while.

I want nothing to do with those nasty, biting, annoying, orange ladybugs. Red ones, yes. Orange ones - NO ! I've seen how bad they are when they congregate in large groups.

Fori, since you like them so much, can we send ours to your house ?