Biting lady beetles swarm southeast Wisconsin; are they dangerous?

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) — You may remember when cicadas were popping out of the ground and buzzing up a storm in communities. Well now there's a new swarming insect impacting southeast Wisconsin, and it bites.

"They were crawling all over the tables, the umbrellas, customers maybe had 20 on them, it was just so bad," said Ryan Nicolas, general manager of Estabrook Beer Garden.

They're called the Asian lady beetles; you would probably mistake it for a harmless little ladybug.

Some even call them Halloween beetles because that's the time of year you'll see them.

"The huge difference is ladybugs are nice; the Asian beetles actually bite," said Nicholas.

According to a University of Minnesota study, some can bite hard enough to break human skin.

These beetles bite when they are searching for moisture or food and even secrete an unpleasant, strong-smelling yellow liquid.

Nicholas says they had massive swarms of the Asian lady beetles all over the beer garden.

"This weekend, we had hundreds and hundreds of beetles flying all over the beer garden. They weren't as aggressive as they normally are, but some customers were saying they were getting bitten," Nicholas explained.

Here's what you can look for as they look slightly different from regular ladybugs. They are orange, have more black dots on their shell, and have a black "M" on their white heads.

"Even coming from last year to this year, I don't recall it ever being as bad as it was this weekend with the Asian beetles," Nicholas said.

Their bites may hurt, but they are harmless, and they are beneficial to farmers and gardeners.

"It's kind of like a light itch, more like when you get bit by a mosquito," said Nicholas. "Don't squish them, don't crush or kill them. They are needed," said Nicholas.

Experts suggest using a sealant to close up any cracks and prevent them from getting in.

If they do get inside, you can use a vacuum and release them back into the wild.