Ladybugs can be a great addition to your garden, but they can also become a problem if you have an infestation. Ladybugs are beneficial insects because they eat soft-bodied pests such as aphids and mealybugs. But if you have too many, they can damage your plants and cause them to die. In this article, we will discuss tips for preventing and treating ladybug infestations.
Monitor the Weather
Ladybugs are attracted to light, often congregating around windows and other bright lights. If you see a large number of ladybugs outside your house, it could be an indication of an infestation inside your home. However, if you can’t find any ladybugs inside your home and still suspect that you have one, you may want to call in a pest control professional to treat your home for other pests like termites or ants.
Prevent Entry
One of the best ways to prevent ladybug infestations is by sealing off any cracks or crevices in your house’s foundation or walls where these pests could enter your home. It would help if you also made sure that all windows and doors are closed tightly and sealed off as much as possible so that no bugs can get into your home through these openings.
Get Rid of Hiding Spaces
Ladybugs often find hiding places under eaves or gaps that protect them from predators such as birds and wasps. Remove these areas by cleaning away debris, such as leaves or pine needles, that provide cover for small insects like ladybugs. It’s also important to seal off cracks and crevices where ladybugs might be able to hide out during the winter months so that they don’t migrate indoors once the weather starts warming up again in the springtime.
Use Pesticides
If you cannot remove hiding spots from your yard, consider using pesticides on them, especially if they’ve invaded your home or garden beds. Ladybugs are beneficial insects, but they’re still insects, which means they’re susceptible to several pesticides designed for killing bugs in gardens and fields. Consider using bifenthrin-based products such as Bayer Advanced Garden Insect Spray or Ortho Home Defense MAX Insect Killer for Lawns & Gardens (both available at most hardware}
Clean Up Food Spills Immediately
Ladybugs love sugary substances like fruit juice or soda pop – especially if spilled on the floor or countertop where they can get at it quickly. You may also see them congregating around pet food bowls or bird feeders if they contain high amounts of sugar or yeast. The easiest way to prevent ladybug infestations is by keeping food spills cleaned up right away so that there’s nothing left for them to eat once they’ve landed on the floor or countertop surfaces.
Keep Your Home Cool And Dark
The key to keeping ladybugs out of your home is keeping it dark, calm, and dry. These insects are attracted to light – incredibly UV light – so keep outdoor lighting to a minimum at night. Also, ensure that you don’t leave lights on in your house when you’re not home because this will attract ladybugs and other types of pests like cockroaches.
Seal up Openings With Caulk or Foam Sealant
Ladybugs love to find cracks and crevices in which they can nestle during the day and hide from predators at night. To keep them out of your home, seal off all openings around windows, doors, and air vents with caulk or foam sealant such as Great Stuff Pro Insulating Foam Sealant. Cover any holes around pipes or wires with duct tape until you can seal them permanently with caulk or foam sealant.
Hire an Exterminator
Even though ladybugs are relatively harmless insects, they do not belong inside homes or businesses because they can cause allergic reactions in people who have severe allergies to them or their eggs. If you suspect you have a ladybug infestation, contact an exterminator immediately so they can use approved chemicals to eliminate them before they become established indoors.
Find Out the Source of the Problem
Another step is to figure out where the ladybugs are coming from. If you notice an increase in their numbers, it may be because someone has brought them into your home or yard. It could also mean that there is a new source of food or shelter nearby that is attracting more ladybugs than usual, like a bird feeder or garden bed filled with flowers. If you know what attracts the ladybugs, you can treat or remove it so fewer of them will be attracted to your property.
Wrapping Up
The ladybug has a miraculous yet often misunderstood life cycle. When ladybugs enter buildings, their presence is usually not out of malice but rather necessity. Such times are often in the spring or fall when these insects search for shelter for hibernation. In addition, the arrival of ladybugs in a home does not always signal disease but rather an opportunity to take preventative measures to keep them from becoming a problem in the first place. Taking preventive measures can also help treat ladybug infestations should you or your building have one.