Remove ladybugs

Ladybugs, like other pests, can sometimes become too much. In the summer, you may have windows and doors open to the garden, allowing several critters to enter. When these lay eggs and then hatch in your home, an infestation can develop, causing a nuisance. The ladybug is not a harmful insect, so we are more likely to offer prevention and repellent advice to you in the hope that the nuisance will disappear.

Ladybugs look like half spheres with two shields and small feelers. They are usually dotted and are from 2 – 10 mm in size. They feed on aphids or live off plants and leaves. An exception is the Asian ladybug which is an aggressive species that also feeds on caterpillars, butterfly eggs and sometimes even other ladybugs. On average, a ladybug becomes about a year old, while many people count the dots to find out how old a ladybug is. In the organic horticulture industry, these critters are used to control aphids without using chemicals.

A ladybug belongs to the beetle family, which is why it has wing covers and two membraneous wings underneath. It is sometimes even difficult to tell whether it is a ladybug or another kind of spotted beetle or even a certain kind of bug.

Larvae of ladybugs have six legs and a pupa has a brown color. At the time a ladybug emerges from the pupa, it often has no dots yet. It is not difficult to recognize the presence of ladybugs, once you have been able to determine that it is indeed this species of beetle. Ladybugs do not hide and can fly anywhere. They are often present in the garden, as there are many food sources here and they can nest and reproduce among the leaves.

As with many insects and pests, it is important to seal gaps, holes and entrances from the outside to the inside. For insects like the ladybug, it is often the spaces under doors and around pipes that allow them to crawl inside. It is common that when one has a new floor or has just moved, the baseboards are not taped immediately. Sometimes this even takes a year or two, but that is precisely a good hiding place for many insects, including ladybugs.

The most common reasons insects enter rooms is their search for warmth to hibernate. Good measures include sealing seams and cracks and installing screens on windows and doors.

Do something about it yourself?

Protect Pest Control can give you advice to reduce or prevent an infestation.