ACROSS THE NORTHWOODS - Do bugs seem to be everywhere in your home, even though there's snow outside? One type of bug in Wisconsin spends the winter inside our houses! They look like Lady Bugs, but they are actually not native to this country.

"They're actually called a multi-colored Asian Lady Beetle. They can be anywhere from a pale yellow to a darker orange and they have black spots on them but you'll see some that don't have spots," says Kerri Ison, UW Oneida County Extension.

These bugs were introduced more than a hundred years ago. They migrated from the South. The beetles come in during the early fall to shelter for winter. They usually come out the way they come in but some come inside.

"You'll see them mostly in your windows and sometimes in your light fixtures. So they're coming out because they think it's spring time and it's ready to go and your house is, of course, warmer than it is outside so that's the way they go," stated Ison.

However, be sure to be careful cleaning them up.

"They recommend using a vacuum that doesn't have a beater bar on it because when they feel threatened, they will secrete a substance and it's actually blood and it'll stain your carpet, your walls, your clothing, things like that," said Ison.

These bugs do not harm your home while they winter inside it. They also do not multiply over winter. But if you want to keep them out of your home, you need to think ahead.

"The best time to prepare is late September early October by sealing everything, which is a good thing to do just for heating costs for your home. But there are also some insecticidal sprays that you can use," says Ison.

Bug bombs are not recommended because you will only kill the bugs that are out and about in your home. The ones in your walls can still live.

Story By: Melissa Constanzer