Discovering a swarm of ladybugs/Asian beetles in your home is a shocking disturbance. Getting rid of the invaders is your top priority to make your home comfortable to live in again.
To get rid of ladybugs/Asian beetles, sweep or vacuum them up and release them far away from your house. After removing them from your home, take pest-prevention measures to stop them from returning.
You can get rid of ladybugs/Asian beetles on your own. To learn more about these creatures and the details of getting rid of them, read this article.
You also might be interested in reading this related article “How To Identify And Get Rid Of Powderpost Beetles“.
Getting Rid Of Ladybugs/Asian Beetles From Your Home
You can safely pick up ladybugs in your home with your hands and take them outside to release them. They can bite, but their bites aren’t severe. Wearing gloves prevents ladybugs from biting your skin.
If you don’t want to touch the ladybugs, you can sweep them into a cup and take the cup outside to release them. They also secrete a foul-smelling, yellowish fluid when they feel threatened. The secretion can stain light-colored fabric.
To get rid of a colony of ladybugs or avoid their nasty fluid, you can use your vacuum to catch them. Take the vacuum canister or bag outside immediately after sucking up the ladybugs and let them go. Otherwise, they could crawl out of the vacuum and back into your house.
Should I Kill Ladybugs/Asian Beetles?
Most gardeners would tell you not to kill ladybugs because they eat pests, especially aphids. They are seen as beneficial to a garden, and some people buy ladybugs to put around their plants and protect them. Likewise, many cultures believe that finding a ladybug in your home is a sign of good luck.
On the other hand, the Asian beetle/ladybug was introduced to the United States for its pest control abilities but has become an invasive species. In fact, some native North American ladybugs have seen a population decline in recent decades. Scientists aren’t sure if the rising number of Asian beetles is hurting the native ladybugs or if other environmental factors are at play.
That being said, the Asian beetle is still an excellent pest killer. You need to decide if killing Asian beetles is the best choice for your home and garden. You should not kill native North American ladybugs because they are at risk of disappearing from some areas.
Homemade Spray To Kill Ladybugs/Asian Beetles
If you decide to kill the Asian beetles that have infested your home, you can make a spray to do it. Vinegar kills Asian beetles, and you can spray full-strength white vinegar on them or dilute it as much as 50 percent with water.
White vinegar also neutralizes the pheromones that mark your home as a safe place for Asian beetles to overwinter. Therefore, getting rid of those pheromones with vinegar helps stop Asian beetles from returning to your home.
How To Identify Asian Beetles/Ladybugs
As mentioned before, native North American ladybugs are becoming rare. Most ladybugs you see in the USA are Asian beetles. The physical characteristics of Asian beetles you can use to identify them are:
- About 1/4 inch to 3/8 inch long
- Red, orange or tan shell
- Black spots, usually 19, but could be zero
- Large, white cheeks
- Black “M” in the middle of their head
Distinguish the Asian beetle from the native nine-spotted ladybug by their spot pattern. The native ladybug has four spots on each side of its shell, with the ninth spot split between the two sides. Also, the nine-spotted ladybug has less pronounced white cheeks.
Why Do Ladybugs/Asian Beetles Come Into Houses?
When summer ends and temperatures start dropping, ladybugs look for a safe place to spend the winter. The warmth, darkness and quiet of your home’s walls, crawl spaces and attics make a perfect place for ladybugs to overwinter. Swarms of ladybugs might find your home and stay there for the winter.
Ladybugs stay dormant until the weather gets warm enough in the spring. The type of buildings ladybugs find the most attractive include:
- Ones near fields and wooded areas.
- Have outdoor lighting.
- Are light-colored with dark trim.
Southern facing walls can attract large numbers of ladybugs who want to bask in the sun. Then, they might look for cracks or gaps in your siding to crawl into and hide. If the ladybugs like your home as an overwintering site, they release a pheromone marker that alerts them to return year after year.
How To Prevent Ladybugs/Asian Beetles From Entering Your Home
General pest-proofing stops ladybugs from entering your home and making it their overwintering site. Do a check of your house at the end of each summer to ensure it is well sealed. Pest-proofing measures you can take at your home include:
Fill Cracks and Gaps
Ladybugs will use any crack or gap to enter your home. You can use expanding foam, caulking or another sealer to fill cracks and gaps.
Check around where plumbing or electrical wires enter your home. There could be spaces around those entry points that need to be sealed.
Repair or Replace Broken Screens
Insect screens on your windows and doors need to be in pristine condition to keep ladybugs out. Therefore, if you have damaged screens, take care of them so they can do their job.
Weatherstripping Around Doors and Windows
Weatherstripping creates a tight seal around your windows and doors. Make sure you have weatherstripping in your home’s openings and that it isn’t damaged. Replace damaged weatherstripping to keep ladybugs out of your home.
Use Door Sweeps On Your Exterior Doors
Door sweeps create a barrier at the foot of your exterior doors that can stop ladybugs from coming in. They also help keep the heat inside your home and cold wind from intruding. Inspect your door sweeps to see that they are making a tight seal and install them on any exterior doors that don’t have them.
Check Attic Vent Screens
Make sure all of your attic vents have screens over them. Your attic is one of the favorite places for ladybugs to stay for the winter. Repair or replace any broken attic vent screens.
Essential Oils To Repel Ladybugs/Asian Beetles
Certain essential oils keep ladybugs/Asian beetles away from your home. Additionally, they make your house smell great! The best essential oils to repel ladybugs are:
- Citronella Oil
- Peppermint Oil
- Cedar Oil
- Neem Oil
- Clove Oil
- Lemongrass Oil
You can add ten drops of any of these essential oils to two cups of water to make a repellant spray. Use the spray liberally anywhere you have seen ladybugs and around the perimeter of your house. It won’t last very long, so you should reapply it every few days.
Plants That Keep Ladybugs/Asian Beetles Away
You can plant strategic flowers and herbs to repel ladybugs/Asian beetles. These plants look beautiful and can prevent a ladybug/Asian beetle infestation. The plants that the beetles don’t like include:
- Chrysanthemums
- Chives
- Larkspur
- Marigolds
- Tansy
- Catnip
- Leeks
Place these plants around the perimeter of your house to help keep Asian beetles away. Leave these plants out of any garden patches where ladybugs could be beneficial, especially for roses, which are susceptible to aphid infestations.
Do Ladybugs/Asian Beetles Damage Homes?
Ladybugs are nuisance pests, meaning they don’t damage the buildings they overwinter in. They don’t feed or reproduce indoors. They are dormant while overwintering and don’t go to the bathroom.
If ladybugs are squished or threatened, they could release their stain, which can leave a yellow mark and a bitter odor. Ladybugs have become a problem for the wine industry. They sometimes overwinter in grape clusters and can get mixed in with the harvest and then taint the wine with the acrid taste from their stain.
Asian Beetle/Ladybug Traps
There are various traps available for Asian Beetles. Types of Asian beetle traps are:
- Light traps that use a blacklight to attract Asian beetles, then you can release them away from your home.
- Glue traps can be placed where Asian beetles like to walk, but they will get stuck and die in the glue trap.
- Pheremone traps use scents to attract Asian beetles in, then you can release them far from your house.
You can use Asian beetle traps inside your home or outside. Traps may not completely stop Asian beetles from infesting your home, but they can reduce their numbers. Set the traps out at the end of summer, when Asian beetles start to look for their overwintering site.
Should I Use Insecticides To Kill Ladybugs/Asian Beetles?
There are several consumer-grade insecticides that kill Asian beetles and other insects. The insecticides come in spray bottles and can be used indoors or outdoors. You can spray the insecticide anywhere you see Asian beetles or around holes where they might enter your house.
Insecticides can be dangerous, and you need to follow all of the manufacturer’s instructions. Keep pets and children away from insecticides.
You might consider hiring a pest control professional to help if your ladybug/Asian beetle infestation is severe enough to use insecticides. They will be safe and can help you with pest-preventing measures to stop future problems.