Ladybugs Control

The ladybug, commonly called the Asian lady beetle is a pest as well as a beneficial insect. They are really only a pest by their presence. Ladybugs do not feed on or damage anything in the home. Ladybugs do not carry diseases or sting, nor can they breed indoors. However, when large numbers of them take up residence in a home, they will crawl all over the walls, windows, light fixtures and any other surfaces.

IDENTIFICATION OF LADYBUGS:

Adult Asian lady beetles are oval, convex, about 1/4-inch long, and pale yellow-orange to dark orange-red. Although general body shape is usually similar, there are differences in size and coloration between ladybug species, although in the United States they are usually red or orange with black markings.

HABITS:

Because ladybug are tree-dwelling insects, homes and buildings in forested areas are especially prone to infestation. Suburban and landscaped industrial settings adjacent to wooded areas have also had large asian beetle aggregations.

Asian lady beetles (LadyBugs) congregate in large numbers during the late fall rather than disperse to over winter individually under bark or in leaf litter, as do most lady beetles. Asian lady beetles (LadyBugs) prefer to cluster on the sides of homes and other buildings, eventually working their way into the building through small cracks or crevices, or natural breaks in the window panes, door jams or foundations as the temperatures decrease. They are seeking a suitable place to spend the winter (over winter) Once inside the building, ladybugs hibernate, until the first warm days of late winter or early spring, when they seem to come to life again and begin crawling about.

Asian beetles tend to be attracted to lighter colored buildings and especially to those that are illuminated by the sun (typically the south or southwest side). Darker colors or buildings in the shade are less likely to have problems. After spending the winter months tucked away in a wall void or other secluded place, they have simply forgotten how they got in. When they become active in the late winter, lady bugs often find themselves inside the home rather than outside. At this time ladybugs are merely looking for a way to escape to the out-of-doors. This reawakening may take place over several weeks, depending on temperatures and the size of the population.

RECOMMENDED MEASURES OF CONTROL:

Once ladybugs have become established in the home, there aren't a lot of treatment options. There are not a lot of recommended chemical measures at this point. The easiest way to remove ladybugs, once they are indoors, is with a vacuum cleaner. However, PREVENTION , is the best of all choices . This is done during the Fall time. To help prevent asian lady beetles, cluster flies, box elder bugs and similar pests from entering in the fall, outdoor, fast-acting synthetic pyrethroids :

Recommended Products: Residual Insecticides, Aerosols, Dusts

Recommended Residual Insecticides:

Cyonara 9.7 Insectide or Demand CS  have a long residual and do not break down easily outside on wall surfaces. They are odorless and do not leave a stain.

Talstar One or Bifen IT * Talstar One and Bifen IT are micro encapsulated products that do not break down easily with rain once it bonds to the surface.

Tempo

Suspend SC

Spray with the residual insecticides around eaves, attic vents, windows, doors, under-fascia lips, soffits, siding(including under lips) and any other possible points of entry, concentrating on the south and the southwest sides . Spray with fan pattern from a garden pump sprayer such as Chapin Premier Sprayer. Spray the southern and western walls is helpful when lady bug populations are high. Remember that heavy duty infestations require heavy duty treatments.

In addition to the residual insecticides Talstar/Bifen , Suspend SC, and Tempo listed above you may want to use dusts and aerosols, if they have invaded the home.



Recommended dusts: Delta Dust (Weather resistant)

Dust can be used to treat wall voids if there is no insulation to impede the spreading of the dust. It can also be placed around switch plate covers and electrical outlets as well as plumbing openings.

Recommended Aerosol:

V One Aerosol

The dust and aerosols should be applied to indoor cracks, crevices, wall voids, hiding places and entry points.

V One aerosol contains pyrethrums, which is a contact killer. It would be useful to spray the ladybugs directly on contact to get a quick knockdown.

V One Aerosol has a crack and crevice applicator which allows you to treat around windows, molding and light fixtures.

Shady areas are less likely to attract lady bugs.