How to Prevent Ladybugs From Entering Your Home
If you’ve ever been subject to a ladybug invasion, you’ll agree that this is a unique experience. Ladybugs, or Asian lady beetles, have been known to cover an entire house en masse, leaving the structure looking as if it’s a creepy, crawly, mass of bugs. Sometimes the bugs gather so thickly, you can’t tell there’s a structure underneath.
Seeing one or two ladybugs may be a nice surprise, but having them in your home is another story. It is common for ladybugs to settle in your home for the winter to hibernate. Looking for help on how to keep them out of your home? Learn how to prevent and remove ladybugs in your home.
Facts About Ladybugs
The first thing you should know is that ladybugs are not a threat to the safety of your family. Ladybugs don’t usually bite, and they don’t carry any harmful diseases. Ladybugs are a nuisance more than anything and can create a stench when disturbed.
Some other interesting ladybug facts include:
- They don’t damage structures.
- Don’t usually lay their eggs indoors, they normally enter your home to stay warm for the winter.
- They are beneficial to gardens because they dine on aphids.
- They're drawn to light-colored homes or homes with natural wood siding.
- Ladybugs love older homes that feature lots of cracks and crevices.
- They return to the same sites year after year by following a trail of pheromones.
Even if you don’t have a lighter colored home or wood siding, ladybugs can still enter your home seeking warmth. You can prevent and remove them with a few easy steps.
How to Prevent a Ladybug Infestation
Once ladybugs invade your home, it can be hard to remove them. Ladybugs come inside to hibernate, not to reproduce. If you want to get rid of your ladybugs without hurting them, here’s how to equip your vacuum cleaner to combat a ladybug invasion:
- Place a knee-high stocking around the end of your vacuum wand and use rubber bands to secure it to the rim.
- Vacuum as you would normally wherever you see a ladybug.
- Release them outdoors. The stocking safely catches the ladybugs and makes it easy for you to place them back outside.
Helpful Tip: Never leave ladybugs in the vacuum, they can just crawl back out into your home.
If you want to prevent ladybugs from entering your home, here’s what you can do:
- Seal all cracks and openings around windows, doors, outlets, eaves, and pipes.
- Use foaming sealants to seal updraft crevices.
- Apply weather stripping to older doors.
Helpful Tip: Do not try to sweep or agitate the bugs, when stressed, the bugs release a smelly, yellow substance that can stain fabrics and surfaces.
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