How To Get Rid Of Ladybugs? WG

Lady Bugs are generally known as orange, red or yellow bugs with dark spots. These little fellows differ completely from the destructive pest known as the Japanese Beetle or the pesky June Bug. These last two are known to destroy leaves, fruits, plants and lawns with their voracious appetites.

Lady Bugs, on the other hand, are relatively harmless. They do seek out warm spots out of the wind during cooler weather, so you may notice an increase in numbers in the fall or in early winter. These colorful little bugs can often be removed from the home and property with a whisk broom and a container large enough to sweep the bugs into.

Professional Help
You may be able to find a professional exterminator who can do a thorough job of getting Lady Bugs out of the eaves, attic, garage etc. Insecticides will kill Lady Bugs, of course, but it’s possible that you could cause problems for young children, pets or even some welcome insect visitors.

Some people choose to vacuum large numbers of Lady Bugs from window sills, eaves, ceiling corners and so on. This works well but there is one problem: Lady Bugs do have an odor. They can leave traces of this behind even with the most thorough cleaning. Some people report that they simply let smaller numbers of these bugs hang around until they move on or die. If the numbers get too large for your comfort you can always try the vacuum method. *Empty the vacuum bag or container outside!!

Consider This
Many gardeners like Lady Bugs because they help eliminate other types of bugs. Yes, those colorful, harmless little bugs are considered predators (by other bugs). Lady Bugs may eat small aphids and other tiny insects that can destroy leaves on your garden plants. In fact, a few companies actually raise and sell this insect, usually a foreign variety that can hibernate during winter and come back in the warm weather to feed on unwanted insect pests.

As you can see there are two sides to the Lady Bug. If you want to keep them from taking shelter in your home or on your property, close up cracks in masonry and seal windows so they can’t get in. Watch closely to see if they are beginning to gather in the eaves on a side of the building that is out of the wind. Check for Lady Bugs in outdoor containers, larger electrical boxes and so on. Simply sweep them away and dispose of them far from your home or other buildings.

Make sure you spend some time in the attic and in the basement or crawl space. These will also be prime locations for large populations to gather. If you have loose outdoor sheeting of some type on your home Lady Bugs might find their way between the sheeting and the insulation. This is a perfect place for them to keep warm.

You can also use traps to gather Lady Bugs or one of the insecticide-soap sprays available at hardware stores and lawn/garden stores. Any aggressive type of action against Lady Bugs should bring relief, at least for one year.

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