You may notice that when there is a lot of moisture in the air and bug populations get high that there is an abundance of other issues that follow, that is no different when it comes to ladybugs. Ladybugs (coccinellids) or ladybird beetles can be a nuisance to some and a real blessing to others.
Farmers love ladybugs because they help by eating the pests that destroy their crop where a homeowner that gets swarmed by these ladybeetles will find it to be an issue because of the invasion of their home.
So, why do ladybugs swarm? Ladybugs are looking for a place to overwinter in the colder months. Ladybugs will usually travel in clusters and when a suitable home is found a ladybug will release an aggregated pheromone to attract the rest of them to that particular location.
Between the months of September – November you will start to see these magnificent bugs start to swarm homes and buildings near wooded areas or places where tall grass grows.
If this is something that you are currently experiencing you will find ladybugs on every side of your home, however, the south side of your home will probably have a larger population due to the larger amount of sunlight it gets.
Ladybug infestations can be in the tens to hundreds of thousands depending on how dry and hot the summer months are that year.
Once the temperatures drop to the mid-60s this is when you can expect to see larger populations, ladybird beetles will start to swarm to stay warm and choose a place for overwintering.
What Areas Do Lady Beetles Swarm?
- Attics (usually through gable vents)
- Basements
- Crawlspaces
- Garages
- Around appliances
- On fabrics like curtains and bedding
- In cabinets
- Inside storage areas
- Closets
- On light sources
- In outdoor sheds and outer buildings
- Cracks and crevices inside the home
It is crazy to see some of the swarm sizes one home or building can accumulate. I have seen this phenomenon a few times, and a good swarm can be in the hundreds of thousands.
How Are They Getting Inside?
I would say in many cases that they get in through:
- Window Tracking (especially the sides)
- Gable Vents
- Loose Fitted Doors/ Poorly Sealed Doors
- Ventilation (like bathroom vents)
- Garage Doors (they keep nothing out)
- Chimneys (with the flue open)
There are other ways that ladybeetles can make their way inside your home, but these are the most common.
Read on I will get into some sealing prevention and some chemicals you can use as well.
How Can I Seal My Home Properly To Prevent Ladybugs?
Now that we know what areas ladybeetles get in from we can start to seal the home.
- Make sure that the windows silicone seals are still good and there is no break in the seal around the outer trim of the window
- Check your air conditioning unit(s), External Generators, and cable wires to make sure that the hoses that lead to the inside are sealed with silicone or expansion foam.
- Look at all the door trim and make sure there is a tight seal around the entire door. You may want to put a door sweep on the bottom of the door in the meantime if the door is warped or has cracks in it.
- See if your gable vents have a fine screen on them. I think it is good to have 2 layers on gable vents. If you do a chicken wire to stop rodents or birds from getting in and the 2nd layer can have the fine screen to stop the smaller pests from getting in.
- Make sure that your vent covers and dryer vents aren’t damaged and you could go the extra mile and put a fine wired cage around it to prevent intrusion.
Doing all these things may not stop ladybugs from getting in fully, however, it will slow the process to create less opportunity for them to get in.
What Do Ladybugs Eat?
Ladybugs were introduced into the United States in 1916 from Asia to aid in the control of aphids. Ladybugs will also eat a few other plant-eating pests.
Almost all ladybugs are carnivores, they will consume somewhere between 40-50 aphids in a single day. A single ladybug will consume somewhere in the ballpark of 5000 aphids in their lifetime. This is a ladybug’s food of choice. In fact when possible ladybugs will lay their eggs on a plant that already has an abundance of aphids on it so that their larvae will be guaranteed a meal.
Ladybugs are proven to be useful in the control of aphids, however, no one wants to share their home with an unwelcomed guest or a multitude of them for that matter.
*Pest Insider Secret: Did you know you can use the same chemicals that commercial pest companies use for their client’s homes?
What Are Some Tips For Keeping Ladybugs Out Of My Home?
How to protect your home from invasion:
The number one preventative course of action I would say is if you can pressure wash your home with a bleach solution.
This is going to get rid of pheromones that get left behind and since ladybeetles put that off I would say the best time to do this is in August right before they are going to decide on places to go.
Ladybugs DIY Pest Control
The aggregated pheromone that is put on your home from these ladybugs can be sensed year after year and for this reason, I always advocate the use of a pressure washer. (you can read my post on pressure washing here) I would use a bleach solvent to help rid your home of all the pheromones that other pests have left behind as well.
Now you could take liquid dish soap and dissolve it in water and spray that on the entire exterior of your home and that would help a little bit. You will have to repeat this daily until the numbers drop enough to stop the invasion.
So after sealing your home and pressure washing it with a bleach solvent is the use of a pesticide.
I recommend using Talstar P (check this out on my recommended products page to see what all you would need to use it). Talstar P has an active ingredient of bifenthrin. This is a great general pest treatment that lasts for about a month after spraying it. To use this chemical to treat for ladybeetles you will add 1 oz. of Talstar P in a one-gallon spray can and fill the can the rest of it with water leaving a little air space in the can to pressurize it.
Areas to Spray
With the spray can go around all the edge of all the windows doors, eaves, soffits, and any areas that could be vulnerable to entry.
You can spray the inside of door jams and down the tracking of the windows and it will help prevent the ladybeetles from making their way in.
Caution: Make sure to read the label fully of any pesticide you plan to use.
It is important to wear the recommended safety equipment that is listed on the label of all products of this nature.
Also, the storage and disposal of a pesticide will be listed on the bottle as well.
Summary
In many cases, I would say that you probably won’t need to treat your home to stop ladybugs. Since they are such a beneficial predator of aphids it is hard to make that decision, however, If it is affecting you inside your home and in abundance, at that point, I think it is time to consider treatment options to stop the infestation. Sealing off your home and pressure washing will definitely help, but if that doesn’t stop an invasion you may need to resort to a pesticide to help push back and keep the ladybugs out of your home.
