Every fall, Tennessee homeowners are in a battle. Equipped with vacuum cleaners, they prepare for the fight against the ladybugs invading their homes in masses. As the weather starts getting colder in October, these insects fly from the fields seeking a warm place to nestle in for the winter.
Ladybugs are Great in the Summer
Ladybugs and their look-a-like, Asian beetles, are attracted to homes in wooded areas, but suburban and landscaped industrial settings adjacent to the woods are not immune. Homes with wood siding or light coloring seem to be more vulnerable.
Everyone loves these cute little bugs, but there is such a thing as too much of a good thing. Of course, nobody intends to actually harm ladybugs, but sometimes when your home is blanketed by a militia of them, it is a little unsettling.
While ladybugs are harmless and actually beneficial to gardens, it is important to not let these beetles infest your home in the winter.
What happens once ladybugs are inside?
When ladybugs die, their bodies release dust that some people can actually develop an allergy to. Allergic symptoms include:
- Hives
- Hay fever
- Eye allergies
- Asthma
- Chronic cough
Sometimes they may leave small stains in your home if terrified as part of a defense reaction known as “reflex bleeding,” which is intended to prevent predators from eating them.
Additionally, the warm, dry conditions indoors will cause them to use up their body reserves needed for the winter and they will die in droves all over your floors, windowsills, and crevices.
Lady bugs can easily be vacuumed with a clean vacuum bag and carried outdoors where the cold keeps their metabolism slow until spring, when they can feast on garden damaging insects for you. Of course, in doing this, there is a risk of them entering back into the home.
In early October, many seek to weather-strip and insulate their homes to prevent these little beetles from entering in swarms. But one thing people may not be aware of is that beyond chemicals there is not much you can do to make sure they don’t come back.
How to Prevent a Ladybug Infestation
According to bug expert Erica Brister, president of U.S. Pest, the key to avoiding a ladybug infestation is prevention. Once one ladybug gets inside, it will release a pheromone that attracts other ladybugs within a ÂĽ mile radius, as a way of communicating to make their home for the winter.
Removing the pheromones from your home can be near impossible, considering that they remain long after the ladybugs are gone. The best things you can do are to ensure that all cracks around windows, doors, pipes and vents are sealed and have a good pest control company that you can depend on, like U.S. Pest, to prevent and stop the ladybug invasion.
Prepare for the Winter with U.S. Pest
As the weather cools, more and more ladybugs will start appearing in your home to hibernate for the winter. Stop these beetles from taking over your home, and schedule your free inspection with U.S. Pest today!