Help! Ladybug invasion again!!

[Princess Dot]

Does anyone else have this problem? Last fall I remember seeing an unusual number of ladybugs on the outside of our house. No big deal, but it looked a little creepy.

Cut to the spring and I had literally THOUSANDS of ladybugs flying around my enclosed porch!! Not too many in the house itself, but the porch is not sealed up as well as the rest of the house. As I learned through doing some research on the net, they had actually hibernated in my house through the winter and were now trying to get out. YIKES!

Well, first I was just trying to let them out,but it was truly out of control. I ended up vacuuming and vacuuming them up and P-U did they stink! Smelled like old rotten potatos. Luckily, the smell went away when I changed the bag.

So here it is, fall time again and they are starting to collect on the outside of the house. I really don't want to have a repeat of this spring. There is some guy on the web selling his "report" on how to prevent ladybug infestations using ordinary household products, but it costs $17 for the "report" and I'm not sure I want to spend this yet before asking if anyone here has any ideas about preventing ladybugs from hibernating in your house. I don't want to use pestisides if possible.

BTW, these are not the ordinary ladybugs (cute, good for gardens, etc.) these are orange asian ladybeetles. They make an orange stain if you crush them and the really smell too. Plus I read that they can bite, but that never happened to me. From what I've read, they like to hibernate in cliffs, so my house on the hill is the next best thing! They only flock to one side of my house, on the higher side of the property where all the afternoon sun is. They are also attracted to light colors, therefore they love my yellow house.

Please help if you have any suggestions!!

 

[Desiree]

No suggestions, but think of all the Good luck you guys are going to have!

 

[Princess Dot]

Funny, you know thats what I thought last year, until I was spending days vacuuming my porch walls, windows, ceilings, because of the "lucky bugs"!

Plus, the rotten potato smell lasted for a long time. Yuk. I used to think ladybugs were cute! Now I cringe when I see the design on clothes! Hey, I just remember, the baby was a ladybug on her first Halloween! Maybe that's how these guys found us! LOL!

 

[trola2]

We have them, too...only all over inside during the winter. Not much help, but I understand!

 

[decker96]

Are you sure you're not talking about my house?!
We get them terrible here too. Some years are worse than others. Last fall they were so thick flying outside that my kids didn't even want to go outside and play. They also flock to one side of our house, the one the sun is shining on. They also like to congregate in our basement. It is unfinished and one side is a walk-out with French doors. That's where they all land and come in. Also on our three-season porch. Some of the screens don't have the best seal, so they can squeeze in.
And that smell is HORRIBLE! Plus, after you vacuum them up your vacuum smells like that every time you use it unless you change the bag. Thank goodness we bought a bagless this year, we went through a TON of bags last year.
We hired an exterminator this summer not because of the ladybugs, but because we had an ant problem. But, you have to sign a year contract with the exterminator, so the nice side effect of it is that he's also been killing alot of ladybugs (orange Asian lady beetle kind here too). He was here last week and DH cleaned up a ton of dead ones in the basement and outside around the garage after he left. I hoping this means not as many will make it in and hibernate this winter!
Sorry I can't give you any advice (I don't think there's anything you can do to totally get rid of them), but I do feel your pain!!!!!!

 

[Princess Dot]

Thanks guys! I'm glad to hear that I'm not alone. Also glad that for the most part, I didn't notice them inside during the winter.

I suppose I could try an exterminator, but since we use well water, I really hate to use any extra pesticides or chemicals around the house that could seep into the ground water.

A few bugs are one thing, the thousands that were on the porch were just too much!

Lets see if anyone else has any other suggestions.

 

[Jasminesmommy]

Look up the report online its got to be somewhere. Yes they do bite and it hurts. I worked at a daycare last year and the playground had them erywhere and we had to stay indoors because they kept biting and the bee's were just as bad both my kids got bee stings in the same week for the first time in there lifs along with other kids.

 

[decker96]

Oh yeah, I forgot you mentioned the biting. I have been bitten by them and it does hurt. I'd say more than a mosquito bite but less than a bee sting.

 

[shelbyjosh]

Make sure you get every last one out of your house before winter! They will make your house their home and multiply like crazy in YOUR warm house. Be sure to check house plants, too.

 

[Chicago526]

I get ladybeetles too, but not that many. My big problem is box elder bugs. They live on box elder trees, but for some reason also like to hang out on the south (sunny) side of peoples houses in the fall and spring. There is a box elder tree just of our association property (so we can't cut it down) and we think that where the come from. The always get into my house! Yuck, I can't stand the things. They don't really hurt anything, but they are ugly. At least I don't usually see them in the kitchen....

 

[decker96]

Originally posted by Chicago526
I get ladybeetles too, but not that many. My big problem is box elder bugs. They live on box elder trees, but for some reason also like to hang out on the south (sunny) side of peoples houses in the fall and spring. There is a box elder tree just of our association property (so we can't cut it down) and we think that where the come from. The always get into my house! Yuck, I can't stand the things. They don't really hurt anything, but they are ugly. At least I don't usually see them in the kitchen....

Yep, we get those too! I have a large variety of insect life around my house, as a matter of fact. DS4 is a bug freak, so he loves it but the rest of us could really do without. I agree, box elder bugs are ugly but alot of those died from the exterminator too! Yea!! Last spring they swarmed (and I do mean swarmed) all over our garage door and the front of the garage. The kids would take cover when I opened the garage door because that would send them all flying everywhere!