Does anyone know what can be used to get rid of Ladybugs? I am especially interested in something that does not involve chemicals since we have a 2 year old in the house.
Betty from Lebanon, KY
I used to be happy when I saw lady bugs, but after being flooded with them for several years and even in the winter in the house I learned to hate them. They stink and bite.
They were always out of reach, so I found a stick, dowel rod, yard stick anything long and made an 6-8 inch round of duct tape with the sticky side out stuck to the end and went around collecting them. I could finally reach all the ones I could see. Change the duct tape when needed.
This year I've only seen a few, but other years have really been bad. I live in Western Pennsylvania. Good luck. (10/29/2004)
By chml
Here's some info about that other bug that resembles the ladybug except that it bites, or rather, tastes us:
The Asian lady beetle is considered a harmless nuisance. Imported to the United States in the 1970s to combat aphids that were destroying Southern pecan trees, the Asian lady beetle started spreading west and north and arrived in Minnesota a few years ago.
As nuisance insects go, Asian lady beetles can be particularly irritating. They look like the common, mild-mannered ladybug, but they don`t act like it. They are bigger and bolder with a noticeable bite. Some homeowners complain that the insects stink, and if you don`t get rid of them right away they leave hard-to-remove black specks (guess what that is) on every surface of the house. Some Michigan residents in homes with large beetle numbers have reported allergic reactions, according to a news report.
In their defense, these aphid-eating insects are beneficial in the garden. Entomologists don`t recommend you try to control them outdoors, unless they congregate in huge numbers near entries to the home. In that case, contact an exterminator. Indoors control consists of removing them by hand, broom or vaccuum cleaner. If Asian lady beetles are a problem indoors during late winter or early spring, you need to reduce the number that get into the wall cavities and voids in fall.
(11/05/2004)
By mommyb
I have a suggestion for eradicating the red or gold ladybugs, which works for me. I scatter bay leaves around, on window sills, any where they can sit. I do this yearly around this time and am not bothered by the pesky bugs. I don't know if they don't like the smell or what.
By Grammamare (11/09/2004)
By ThriftyFun
Lowes sells a product called Hot Shot it is around $8 and if you hang one of those over your door the lady bugs will not come in the house. Since I have had mine I have not seen many spiders either.
By Nancy.
Burn Mulberry scented candles. They hate the smell and will leave your house. (11/17/2004)
By Carolyn
I used to live in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee and each October lady bugs swarmed in the millions. Our house was white and seemed to draw them worse than darker homes. Since we were just a few miles from the National Park, my husband spoke with a park ranger who recommended that we purchase a sprayer, fill it with liquid diswashing detergent, dilute it by about half and spray the outside of the house thoroughly, especially the side that received the afternoon sun.
Since they are attracted to light, we sprayed everything that reflected the afternoon sun. We repeated the spraying on a regular basis and if it rained, we sprayed again. Nothing can get rid of them entirely, but it sure did help. (11/18/2004)
By Alice
This product works good on Asian beetles, which work in soybean fields eating aphids, until there is no more aphids then they want to migrate in the house. Your local hardware store or agri-center should carry this or can get it for you. This a very good product, its called Tempo, its a liquid you add to water and spray all around on your house on the bugs directly or indirectly does not matter, safe to spray inside your house also, will not harm pets or humans, it has a residual so one spraying lasts for a few weeks. It does work, only had a few this year the rest laid outside in piles dead. This product is also good for crickets and many other annoying bugs. (03/16/2005)
By Randy
Prevention is the most effective step in managing lady beetles. Check the outside of your home for spaces and cracks that may allow insects easy entry. Make any necessary repairs by the end of September.
Install tight-fitting door sweeps or thresholds at the base of all exterior entry doors. Gaps of 1/16 inch or more will permit entry of insects. Seal openings where pipes and wires enter the foundation and siding, for instance, around outdoor faucets, receptacles, gas meters, clothes dryer vents, and telephone/cable TV wires. Holes can be plugged with caulk, cement, urethane expandable foam, steel wool, copper mesh, or other suitable construction sealant. Caulk around windows, doors, chimneys, and fascia boards, etc. using a high quality silicone or acrylic latex caulk. Repair gaps and tears in window and door screens. Repair screens in roof and soffit vents, and in bathroom and kitchen fans. Keep siding, eaves and soffits in good repair, replacing damaged areas if necessary, to keep the exterior walls as insect-proof as possible.
Frequently spraying the beetles that have landed on the side of a house with soapy water will reduce the population considerably. Physical exclusion can be supplemented with a residual insecticide barrier. For insecticides to be effective, they must be applied before insects begin to enter buildings, which is early- to mid-
October for multicolored Asian beetles. Be sure the product you intend to use is labeled for use on the exterior of buildings. You may wish to consider hiring a professional pest control service. They have the experience and access to residual insecticides to control lady beetles effectively.
Remove lady beetles found indoors with a broom or vacuum. Indoor insecticide sprays are of very limited benefit. Once lady beetles move into wall voids there is no practical control to prevent them from emerging later during winter or spring. The only control is to remove them as they are seen. (03/16/2005)
By Margie in KS
I had ladybugs like mad in our new home. I went into the hardware one day and told them I wished I could find something for ladybugs. They told me Revenge Bug Strips.Two days after I put them up, I was finding dead bugs all over. Within a week I wasn't even finding them. These strips really stink, but they work like crazy. No more lady bugs. Mine only lasted about 2 months, but I didn't mind buying them again, they really work. I got them at the Local True Value Hardware.
I am sure they are available in other lawn and garden stores also.
Hope this helps you. (03/15/2006)
By Pip
Don't be ridiculous, Mr. Shrimpp. These people don't want to eradicate ladybugs from the entire planet, they just don't want them inside their homes in hordes. There are millions of insects, animals, birds, even reptiles that are good for our ecosystems, but that we don't want to habitate with us inside our homes. Would you want hundreds of garden snakes slithering around inside your house?
For those still having problems, I found the link below helpful and educational. Good luck.
ca.uky.edu (10/23/2007)
By ladybugproblem
I just got these strips yesterday, "Pro Zap" and hung one in the attic, 2nd floor bathroom and kitchen since those were my worse areas. There were 100's of lady bugs and when I got up this morning I had to start vacuuming up all the dead lady bugs. I got mine at our local feed store, but I'm sure that hardware stores and probably Walmart would have them. I have 2 dogs and didn't want anything that might harm them and this is working great. Pine sol and lemon scented Mr. Clean don't work. (04/10/2008)
By Jill
I'm going to build one of these traps. ipm.osu.edu (04/10/2008)
By Joe
Put a clean vacuum bag in vacuum cleaner, vacuum them up, then put a Ziploc baggy over the vacuum bag hole and allow them to go into there (vacuuming only stuns them not kill them) zip the bag shut. Now sell or give them to a farmer or sell them on eBay, or freeze them now and thaw them in the spring and put them on your plants. Lady bugs (the red and black ones) and lady beetles (the orange and black ones) are both harmless and kill the aphids that eat plants in your garden and on farms. (07/12/2009)
By canyon
Seal them out with caulk, the south side of the house will be the side to concentrate on most. For those inside just gently sweep them up and let them go. Most times the are not dead, just sleeping.
Check out this article for more pestcemetery.com (10/23/2009)
By Jerry
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