As November chills begin to cover Wayne, students are noticing an unusual amount of small “orange ladybugs” around campus.

These “orange ladybugs,” commonly mistaken for normal ladybugs, are actually the Asian lady beetle. The Asian lady beetle is an invasive species that continues to lurk around windows and doorways.

Students walking around campus might walk into a cluster of lady beetles near buildings, sidewalks, and even climbing through windows. Many people assume that these tiny insects are or are related to the normal red ladybugs seen in childhood books. Nebraska is dealing with the influx of lady beetles.

Sophomore Charlotte Mares, a teacher’s aide, shared her experience with the bugs. “Every time I went outside for recess in October, the ‘ladybugs’ were really bad.”

Mares also said that the children found the beetles to be “the most fascinating thing.”

These insects are not harmful, but they have become a problem for many on campus. As the temperature begins to fall, these beetles have to look for somewhere warmer to stay. This can include academic buildings, dorms and even inside your own room. These insects can enter through very small openings, like ACs and the door being open.

Jayden Mason, a sophomore on campus, said he wasn’t a fan of the lady beetles.

“It icks me out whenever I walk by a swarm of the orange ladybugs. When I lived in the dorms, they used to be everywhere,” Mason said.

Mason also said he was unaware that these beetles were an invasive species. “I always thought that they were just orange ladybugs,” Mason said. “But, at least, it gives me a reason not to like them.”

While the number of the Asian lady beetle continues to grow, they eliminate the number of red ladybugs. But for now, they remain a small staple of Wayne.