Tips For Controlling Ladybugs When You Don't Want Them Hibernating In Your House

Asian lady beetles, or ladybugs, are helpful in the spring and summer by eating garden pests such as aphids. However, ladybugs can become pests in the fall when they look for places to hibernate. The bugs might decide to move into your home. Although ladybugs aren't necessarily harmful, you probably don't want a large mass of ladybugs living between your walls or in your attic. Here are some ways to control Asian lady beetles:

Seal The Cracks And Gaps On Your House

The best way to control ladybugs is to seal up all the gaps and openings in the walls and along the roof of your home so the bugs can't get inside. This can be a time-consuming chore, so you may want to call in a pest professional to do the job. If you have an older house, it may not be possible to seal every gap around your home, especially if your home has multiple levels that make it difficult to reach some areas. If that's the case, the exterminator can focus mostly on areas that get full sun during the day. Ladybugs are attracted to bright, sunny areas when they're looking for somewhere to hibernate. They usually won't bother with the shady side of your home. Instead, you might see a large group of them swarming the siding or your gutters in the bright sunlight. Ideally, your pest control company will complete the exclusion process before the bugs start gathering on the exterior of your home. If not, they may get inside before you can stop them.

Apply Exterior Pesticide

Your exterminator might recommend applying pesticide to the outside of your home so the bugs that come in contact with it die off before they enter your home or shortly after that. It may not be all that effective to apply insecticide indoors since the ladybugs come inside to hibernate rather than crawl all over your kitchen in search of food. Unless you know exactly where the bugs are located and can apply the insecticide there, they may never come in contact with it indoors.

Vacuum The Bugs

If you see a mass of ladybugs indoors or outdoors, one of the easiest ways to get rid of them is with a vacuum. Suck them into the container and then you can kill them if you want, or you can release them far from your home. Be sure you've sealed your home so they won't get back inside if you release them outdoors to help in your garden next spring. Be careful when you vacuum ladybugs indoors that you aren't rough with them or the bugs might release a noxious odor as a form of self-protection. They might also leave behind yellow stains if you are rough with them. That's why vacuuming is a better option than sweeping them into a dustpan for removal.

If the ladybugs are already in your home, and you're not squeamish about bugs, you may want to leave them undisturbed because they will die or move out in the spring. Then you can take your time over the summer to seal your house so they can't get back in the following autumn. However, if you decide to let the bugs stay in your home over the winter, be prepared for their mass awakening in the spring when they come back to life and try to find a way out of your house. You'll probably have ladybugs crawling everywhere for a few weeks until you shoo them all outside.

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