They may feel like a nuisance, but the ladybug look-a-like is actually a beneficial pest.

The Asian lady beetle has seemingly taken over Manitoba this year. However, the insect has already been in Manitoba since the 1990s. It was intentionally introduced to help control agricultural pests.

Jordan Bannerman is an entomology instructor at the University of Manitoba says that the unusual thing about them this year is the sheer number of them, not that they are around.

"We're seeing so many beetles now because we had a really nice, fairly moderate, reasonably dry summer where there was a whole bunch of food available to them," Bannerman said. "They had more food this year than they would in a typical year in Manitoba."

The Asian lady beetle eats soybean aphids that can harm crops, but have a bad reputation this year for biting. Bannerman says they aren't really biting and calls it nipping instead. He says it's uncomfortable, but they're probably just tasting you.

Both Bannerman and the City of Winnipeg say the Asian lady beetle poses no health risk to people. If you find them in your house, you can very easily vacuum them up.

"What the lady beetles [in your house] are looking for is a place to go dormant," Bannerman said, but suggested that they probably wouldn't last the winter inside.

If your home has become infested, Bannerman offers some practical tips. "The best thing that you can do is figure out where they're getting inside and block the path of entry." You probably don't want to squish them, as he says they will secrete a liquid which can stain. The easiest thing to do is simply use a vacuum, or release them outside using a paper and a cup.