Do Asian lady beetles interfere with motion detectors?

[jokah]

I am finishing my basement but while it's a work in progress hundreds of ladybeetles make their way in and hoard in fall. Will they trip a motion sensor if they all hord together fr heat on it? Is there any way around this?

If this happens j fear that I'd be forced to axe my system.

Also I do spray. My foyer outside will have hundreds dead on the steps daily. But were close to fields and take the brunt when crops are harvested. I could probably spray poison on the sensors themselves unless teyre very sensitive?

 

[signal15]

That's a good question.

If you get sensors that have microwave and PIR combo sensing, it should reduce the risk. I would probably avoid spraying the sensor itself as the spray can get through the cracks and you'll get moisture in it, or you'll get the emitter dirty and it won't work properly anymore.

For PIR/Microwave sensors, these are awesome:

http://www.automatedoutlet.com/s.nl/it.A/id.8820/.f

 

[sic0048]

Can you simply remove that sensor from the system temporarily while the lady bugs swarm? I know they only do that during a certain time of the year. It also sounds like you only have an problem with the PIR in the basement.

As a side note, if the are getting into the house, then you might want to check and see if you can find where they are entering and try to seal up the hole. Granted, it doesn't take a big hole for a lady big to fit through, but if you can find any holes be sure to seal them up.

 

[beelzerob]

Are Japanese Lady Beetles the kind that drink wine and catch an opera, whereas the Ladybugs are drinking beer from the can while flashing people in other cars at the intersection?

I've never heard them referred to so....politely.


And we'll just have to guess at what Brian means by "lady big".

 

[carry15+1]

This may not work for you if you are truly infested with these bugs.

In my shop I run a pair of dual tech motion detectors with NC contacts wired in parallel - BOTH must trip to trip the zone. It's worked well for the past 10 years. When I had a single detector I would get a moth or butterfly or such that would trip the zone. The detectors are located a couple feet apart and look in slightly different directions.

 

[signal15]

Are Japanese Lady Beetles the kind that drink wine and catch an opera, whereas the Ladybugs are drinking beer from the can while flashing people in other cars at the intersection?

I've never heard them referred to so....politely.

Ladybugs and Asian Lady Beetles are actually different things. They look quite similar, but the Asian Lady Beetle stinks when you crush it, and leaves stains on the floor/wall/etc. They also can bite, and it hurts.

Some areas of the country have been getting them extremely bad lately. My parents have a white house, and one side of the house was all red for about a week. You could only see a couple of small patches of the white siding.

Anyway, I do like the idea of two separate sensors wired in series on the same zone, and pointing in the same area.

 

[beelzerob]

Ick. I hope we have the polite kind here then.