Against the law to kill ladybugs in NC? Who knew...problem at HP South Stream CLT.
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2007
Location: NC
Programs: Marriott LT Plat, Hyatt Platinum
Posts: 2,881
Against the law to kill ladybugs in NC? Who knew...problem at HP South Stream CLT.
Actual conversation held at the front desk of the HP South Stream CLT this AM:
Mr. Sophie: "I just wanted to let you know that there are at least 12 ladybugs on the ceiling of my room".
HP Front Desk: "I'm sorry about that. We are having a huge problem with ladybugs, especially on the 6th floor. Guests have been complaining for weeks. I will give you 500 extra GP's."
Mr. Sophie: "So last night, the front desk knew there was a bug problem when they gave me the room?"
HP Front Desk: "Yes, sir. It is a problem in those rooms for all of November and December."
Mr Sophie: "May I speak to the manager, please".
HP Manager: "We have talked to Hyatt Corporate, and they have told us it is against the law in NC to kill ladybugs. There is nothing we can do."
Mr. Sophie: " I know that ladybugs are not dangerous, but I don't want them in my room. You do realize that I will never stay in this hotel again?"
HP Manager: "It only happens in November and December. The rest of the year you wouldn't have a problem."
....everyone was quite pleasant and courteous, but still......
Mr. Sophie: "I just wanted to let you know that there are at least 12 ladybugs on the ceiling of my room".
HP Front Desk: "I'm sorry about that. We are having a huge problem with ladybugs, especially on the 6th floor. Guests have been complaining for weeks. I will give you 500 extra GP's."
Mr. Sophie: "So last night, the front desk knew there was a bug problem when they gave me the room?"
HP Front Desk: "Yes, sir. It is a problem in those rooms for all of November and December."
Mr Sophie: "May I speak to the manager, please".
HP Manager: "We have talked to Hyatt Corporate, and they have told us it is against the law in NC to kill ladybugs. There is nothing we can do."
Mr. Sophie: " I know that ladybugs are not dangerous, but I don't want them in my room. You do realize that I will never stay in this hotel again?"
HP Manager: "It only happens in November and December. The rest of the year you wouldn't have a problem."
....everyone was quite pleasant and courteous, but still......
#2
Join Date: Apr 2007
Programs: SPG Gold, Marriott Gold, Hyatt Platinum
Posts: 254
Very odd, we get millions of them here in the Midwest every fall and the stores usually run low on the chemicals to kill them. If they are protected in NC, they could certainly come here and take them....we wouldn't mind
#4
Used to be bulldoggolfer05
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Săo Paulo, BR/Miami Beach, FL/NYC/DXB
Programs: HGP DMD, HHonors DMD, SPG PLT, MR PLT
Posts: 2,295
The thing in NC is that many of these bugs aren't lady bugs but are in fact a foreign beetle that imitates the lady bug and then preys on them.
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2007
Location: NC
Programs: Marriott LT Plat, Hyatt Platinum
Posts: 2,881
#7
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Minneapolis
Programs: AA EXP, Hyatt Diamond, SPG Gold, GlobalEntry, Admirals Club, United Club
Posts: 1,948
http://www.mountaintimes.com/mtweekl.../ladybugs.php3
however, i do believe its illegal in tennessee
Last edited by jetsfan92588; Dec 15, 2009 at 6:57 pm
#9
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Minneapolis
Programs: AA EXP, Hyatt Diamond, SPG Gold, GlobalEntry, Admirals Club, United Club
Posts: 1,948
#10
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: PIT
Programs: NW Gold, YX Executive
Posts: 63
Kill the Orange Ones
From what I understand, the orange ladybugs are the foreign invaders that are outcompeting the native, less aggressive red ladybugs. Therefore, in theory, if you kill only orange ladybugs, you should be fine. If the ladybugs are red, let 'em be.
#11
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2007
Location: NC
Programs: Marriott LT Plat, Hyatt Platinum
Posts: 2,881
2) we tend not to carry one in our luggage; as we found it was too rarely used
1) evidently that is what housekeeping does. how that is OK and calling an exterminator is not is beyond me...as I find it hard to believe all vacuums are carried outside by the staff and carefully emptied.
My biggest issue is that the staff knows about the problem in these rooms, and are using them anyway. (or perhaps it is happening in so many rooms, they no longer can know for certain which rooms are affected)
If killing them is illegal, I can surmise that Hyatt corporate DID advise them against an exterminator...but cannot think they would encourage them to still use the rooms!
And although we certainly did not enjoy the stay, nor how the staff handled the problem, I have to say that we do feel some degree of sympathy for the hotel - knowing you have a bug problem; being unable to correct it, and having to listen to complaints every morning for 2 months of the year cannot be enjoyable!
#12
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: FSD - Now 4 airlines out of city, AA recently added flights to DFW and ORD
Programs: United MP 1K, NW/Delta Platinum, HHonors Diamond, National Executive Elite
Posts: 54
icky sticky bugs
Sounds like the asian lady beetles that we have in South Dakota from late summer on. They get indoors when it gets cold, usually find live and dead ones throughout the winter in various nooks and crannies of the house. They do look similar but are more of a dark orange and are more difficult to kill, and when you do kill them they leave an ugly, smelly stain. When they land and walk on the skin they stick, which makes it feel like they're biting. Nasty critters that were brought to the US to kill aphids and now they're taking over. In SoDak it's open hunting season on these little beasties.
#13
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Minneapolis
Programs: AA EXP, Hyatt Diamond, SPG Gold, GlobalEntry, Admirals Club, United Club
Posts: 1,948
1) evidently that is what housekeeping does. how that is OK and calling an exterminator is not is beyond me...as I find it hard to believe all vacuums are carried outside by the staff and carefully emptied.
My biggest issue is that the staff knows about the problem in these rooms, and are using them anyway. (or perhaps it is happening in so many rooms, they no longer can know for certain which rooms are affected)
If killing them is illegal, I can surmise that Hyatt corporate DID advise them against an exterminator...but cannot think they would encourage them to still use the rooms!
And although we certainly did not enjoy the stay, nor how the staff handled the problem, I have to say that we do feel some degree of sympathy for the hotel - knowing you have a bug problem; being unable to correct it, and having to listen to complaints every morning for 2 months of the year cannot be enjoyable!
My biggest issue is that the staff knows about the problem in these rooms, and are using them anyway. (or perhaps it is happening in so many rooms, they no longer can know for certain which rooms are affected)
If killing them is illegal, I can surmise that Hyatt corporate DID advise them against an exterminator...but cannot think they would encourage them to still use the rooms!
And although we certainly did not enjoy the stay, nor how the staff handled the problem, I have to say that we do feel some degree of sympathy for the hotel - knowing you have a bug problem; being unable to correct it, and having to listen to complaints every morning for 2 months of the year cannot be enjoyable!
while i do have some sympathy for the hotel, there has to be some way they can at least minimize the problem. what do other hotels in the area do? what if they were to somehow seal the doors more properly. there has to be something
#15
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: CLT
Posts: 7,249
Well apparently the house spray i put on my baseboards killed over 60 of them because I just vacuumed up a ton of dead ones around a window.
...the beetles, not real lady bugs. gotta count the spots. One has odd and one has even.
...the beetles, not real lady bugs. gotta count the spots. One has odd and one has even.