While it’s great to have ladybugs in your garden (they love to eat garden pests, particularly aphids), having them in your home is another story. Granted, ladybugs are relatively harmless and can’t hurt you, but uncovering an infestation in your house can still be a bothersome. The worst that can happen is that they stain your walls with a yellowish secretion.
And now that fall is officially here and the temperatures are cooling, ladybugs that might have been living outside are starting to look for warmer places to spend their winter. Namely, inside your house. Here’s what you can do if you wake up one day to a swarm of ladybugs crawling around your home.
Winterize Your Home
Ladybug and other creepy crawlies are likely looking for a warm place to spend winter, and that usually means inside your home. They can get in through even the smallest cracks in walls, window sills, and other structures. Make sure all your weather stripping is in good shape, replacing it where needed, and that you fill any cracks with caulk. Not only will this prevent ladybugs from getting into your house, but you’ll also likely save some money on your winter heating bill! Ideally this is done before the ladybugs start showing up on the exterior of your home in the fall.
Vacuum Them Up
Ladybugs inside a home are best vacuumed up, and unlike stink bugs, won’t leave an odor. If you try to handle or swat them, they can leave a yellowish stain.
Call A Professional
The key to keeping them out is proper timing of an exterior treatment when they first appear on the outside of your home. Of course, you can always call us to help you prevent a ladybug infestations you might be contending with. We’re happy to help you get rid of any unwanted fall pests you might find, ladybugs or otherwise!
Eco Care is a family-owned pest-control company. Eco Care owner Erich Grove, a board-certified entomologist, uses science to get insects and other pests under control in Howard County and surrounding areas of Maryland and that means you have science on your side. If stink bugs are troubling you and your home, please call our office at 410-465-3709 or schedule treatment online.