How To Manage A Ladybug Infestation 

No matter who you are or where you’re from, you’re likely familiar with ladybugs. With their bright red, spotted bodies, ladybugs are a staple for a healthy garden or yard.

Well, mostly.

The truth is, ladybugs are considered a popular form of natural garden pest control because they eat aphids and other pesky insects that can damage your garden plants. They’re also beneficial to the environment because they provide a food source for other predatory insects and animals. However, ladybugs can become a problem if there are too many in your yard or garden area.

The good news is that a ladybug infestation is easy to manage if you take action before they become too plentiful. In today’s article, we’ll talk about how you can manage a ladybug infestation in your yard and garden. Let’s get started!

What Are Ladybugs? The Good And The Not-So-Good Truth About Ladybugs

Ladybugs are for the most part considered highly beneficial

Ladybugs are small, oval-shaped beetles with a characteristic black spot on each wing cover. They are most often depicted as bright red, but depending on the species, ladybugs can range in color and pattern.

There are more than 6,000 species of ladybugs worldwide, but only 500 species of ladybugs in North America. These beetles range in size from 0.8 inches to about one inch long and 0.2 inches wide. Their body color ranges from yellow to red or orange with black spots or no spots at all.

They have short antennae (around half the length of their bodies) and their wings meet in a straight line across the middle of their back when at rest (not overlapping like butterfly wings). They can fly in both directions, but they’re much slower moving backward than forward so it’s usually just used for escaping predators or finding food plants when threatened by something behind them.

Ladybugs are predators that eat aphids (plant-sucking insects) by sucking out their juices through a tube called a proboscis that pierces through the insect’s exoskeleton. Ladybugs also feed on other plant-eating insects such as small caterpillars, mites, mealybugs, insect eggs, and whiteflies.

Ladybugs are carnivorous beetles, so they are generally not destructive to plants. With that said, they can be harmful to other beneficial insects if you have a garden full of them. If there are too many ladybugs in your garden, they may begin to attack other beneficial insects in order to feed.

Furthermore, ladybug infestations don’t always stay outside. Ladybugs can migrate from your garden into your home, especially as the weather begins to cool. This can lead to a ladybug infestation indoors, and this is where the real problem can begin.

Although ladybugs are harmless to humans or pets, they do secrete a yellow substance that is odorous. It can also cause an irritating burning or stinging sensation on the skin, or even lead to allergies in those with sensitivities.

Worse, ladybugs are prolific breeders. Keep reading to learn more.

A Ladybug Infestation – Why So Many Ladybugs On My Property?

Ladybugs are carnivores that are attracted to insect pests.

Ladybug infestations outdoors are rare. In fact, most gardeners welcome the sight of ladybugs in their yards and gardens! However, a large number of ladybugs in your yard could actually mean you have something that is attracting them there, which means you have a different pest problem than you may think.

Remember, ladybugs feed on a variety of pest insects, so a ladybug infestation outdoors means you probably have a pest problem in your garden you need to manage.

With that said, ladybug infestations can happen indoors, and while they are not dangerous, having hundreds of ladybugs inside your home can certainly be a nuisance.

So, why is there a ladybug infestation in your house?

There are several reasons why you might see an increase in the number of ladybugs around your home:

Weather conditions – A cold winter followed by a warm spring can cause an increase in ladybug populations as they look for food sources; if those food sources aren’t available yet, then some of them will stay around your home until they find something to eat.

Natural predators – Birds, spiders, and other insects can feed on ladybugs, so if there is a shortage of food in the wild, they will come to your home instead.

Ladybugs are attracted to light – If you have lights that are on at night or during the day (even if they are off during the day), this can attract ladybugs who then become trapped inside your home seeking warmth and shelter. Once trapped inside, ladybugs can begin to mate and procreate, which can lead to an infestation.

A ladybug infestation inside can happen relatively quickly. The ladybug’s life cycle starts with the egg stage. A female ladybug lays her eggs on the underside of a leaf. She lays up to 400 eggs at a time. The eggs are oval in shape and have a hard shell that protects them from predators.

The next stage is the larval stage, where the larvae emerge as small black or red creatures with six legs and antennae. It takes about two weeks for them to develop into their next stage — the pupa stage. At this point, they are called cocoons because they look like small cocoons made from silk threads that protect them from predators during their transformation into adults. The cocoons are often found on twigs or other structures near their food source. You can tell if there are ladybugs in your yard or home by looking for their cocoons in trees or bushes near your home or garden.

The final stage of the ladybug life cycle is known as an imago, or adult phase. This is when the ladybugs emerge from their cocoons as spotted creatures with black wings and orange spots on their backsides. They start off as red but turn black during this phase as well because they stop eating while they are undergoing metamorphosis.

How To Get Rid Of Ladybugs – Best Methods And Processes

If they get into your home, ladybug infestations can become quite annoying.

As we’ve mentioned above, ladybugs are beneficial insects, but they can also be a nuisance. When they get into homes, they can leave behind black spots and stains on furniture, walls, and curtains. They may also bite, which is painful for some people. The best way to remove ladybugs from your home is by using gentle removal methods that will not harm them or the environment.

There are several methods you can use to remove a ladybug infestation, including those listed below.

Use A Wet Paper Towel, A Sponge, Or A Vacuum

If you have found ladybugs in your home and need a solution in a pinch, there are several ways to remove them without the use of products or chemicals. One method is to use a wet paper towel or sponge to gently wipe away the ladybugs from walls and furniture. If you do this quickly enough, you may be able to catch all of them before they leave stains on your walls and furniture. You might also consider using a vacuum with a detachable nozzle to suck up any ladybugs you see, especially if you find them in clusters along windowsills or flooring.

Use Traps To Catch Ladybugs

You can also use traps to capture ladybugs if you find that the bugs are coming into your home in large numbers. To make these traps, place an inverted flower pot over some sugar water and leave it outside overnight with a light shining on top of it. The light attracts the ladybugs and they will crawl into the flower pot so that they can feed on the sweet liquid inside.

Use Insecticides That Are Safe For Use Indoors

Insecticides are one of the best ways to get rid of a ladybug infestation because they can kill them on contact and prevent them from returning. However, it’s important that these insecticides are safe for indoor use because they often contain chemicals that will cause harm to humans and pets if they come in contact with them.

Use Natural Methods For Removing A Ladybug Infestation

Natural methods for removing a ladybug infestation may include using repellents and traps to discourage them from coming back into your home. These methods may not always kill the beetles but they can be useful if you just want them out of your house or if you’re looking for a less toxic approach than using pesticides or other chemicals.

Use Repellents

Once you’ve gotten control of your ladybug infestation, then using repellents to keep them from returning can be very effective. There are many different kinds of repellent available commercially, with some products emitting a scent that is unpleasant to the beetles while others use ultrasonic sound waves.

Best Natural Products For Getting Rid Of A Ladybug Infestation

When they stay outdoors, ladybugs are incredibly beneficial.

If you have a ladybug infestation in your home, you may want to consider using natural products to get rid of them first. Natural products are often safer than traditional pesticides, so they’re worth trying especially if you have children or pets in the home.

When using natural products to get rid of a ladybug infestation, be sure to still read the directions and keep these products out of reach of children and pets. It’s also best to apply them in areas you have noticed ladybug activity unless otherwise directed.

We have listed some of our favorite natural products for getting rid of a ladybug infestation for you to consider below.

Mighty Mint Peppermint Oil Repellent

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If you’re looking to get rid of ladybugs indoors, try Mighty Mint Peppermint Oil Repellent.

This product is a blend of pure essential oils and other natural ingredients that provide long-lasting protection against many types of insects. It’s safe for use around children and pets, and it can be used in houses with wood floors and carpeting.

Mighty Mint Peppermint Oil Repellent is easy to apply with no mess or odor. Simply spray the solution directly on any surfaces where you’ve seen signs of ladybugs. The spray will dry within seconds, leaving behind a light minty scent and no sticky residue.

The best time to use Mighty Mint Peppermint Oil Repellent is early in the morning or late at night when pests are most active. You can also spray it on your clothing before heading outside if you’re concerned about being bitten by other bugs like mosquitoes or gnats while you work around your home or garden.

Ultrasonic Pest Repellent

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Ultrasonic pest repellents are a popular method to repel pests and insects indoors without the use of harsh chemicals or smells. The sound waves cannot be heard by humans, but they have a negative effect on pests like rodents, cockroaches, spiders, mosquitoes, ants, and even ladybugs.

An ultrasonic pest repeller uses high-frequency sound waves to repel unwanted pests from your home. It sends out frequencies that humans can’t hear, but that insects can’t stand. These high frequencies annoy them so much that they want to get away as quickly as possible!

This method is 100% non-toxic, so you don’t have to worry about harming yourself or your pets while using it!

Diatomaceous Earth Crawling Insect Killer

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Diatomaceous Earth Crawling Insect Killer is a natural product that repels and kills crawling insects, including ladybugs. It’s safe to use around your home, garden, and pets.

To apply Diatomaceous Earth Crawling Insect Killer indoors, sprinkle it in areas where you see crawling insects or where they’re likely to appear. You can also sprinkle DE on outdoor plants to repel pests like aphids and scales.

You can also use it as a dust barrier around the base of a tree or shrub to keep pests from crawling up the trunk and into the branches. If the plant has been sprayed with insecticide recently, wait one week before applying DE as this will help prevent chemical residues from harming beneficial insects.

You don’t need much DE for it to work well — just enough to form a dusting when you sprinkle it on a surface. The powdery nature of diatomaceous earth makes it an effective repellent because pests cannot walk through it without dehydrating themselves. The fine particles stick in their exoskeletons, causing them to dehydrate and die.

Aunt Fannie’s All-Purpose Pest Repellent Spray

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Aunt Fannie’s All-Purpose Pest Repellent Spray is a natural, non-toxic, and environmentally friendly solution to help get rid of ladybugs indoors.

The product comes in an easy-to-use spray can that you simply spray directly on the pests. You can then let it sit for a few minutes before wiping it away with a cloth or paper towel.

Aunt Fannie’s All-Purpose Pest Repellent Spray is made with organic ingredients such as water, peppermint oil, and lemongrass oil which makes it safe for use around children and pets.

Wondercide Indoor Pest Control Spray

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Wondercide Indoor Pest Control Spray is a safe and effective way to get rid of ladybugs indoors. It’s also suitable for use on mattresses, upholstery, and carpets.

The spray will kill both adult ladybugs and their larvae, eliminating the need for further treatment in the future. It can also be used safely around children and pets, as well as on fabrics that can’t be washed or dry cleaned.

To use Wondercide, remove food sources from your homes, such as pet food or organic matter that may attract pests that in turn could attract ladybugs.

Spray Wondercide Indoor Pest Control Spray onto affected areas where you see ladybugs crawling around or resting. The product works best if it is applied directly to the insects themselves, but you can also treat areas where they’re likely to congregate (e.g., baseboards, corners). Avoid spraying directly onto the furniture as this may stain the finish of wooden surfaces such as tables or chairs.

Leave the product on its target overnight so that it has enough time to kill off adults and larvae alike before they move elsewhere in your home or business.

Best Chemical Methods For Getting Rid Of A Ladybug Infestation

If your ladybug infestation is severe, you may need to use more serious methods of removal.

If you’re dealing with an infestation of ladybugs and natural methods don’t work, it’s important to make sure you choose the right chemical insecticide next.

The best way to get rid of a ladybug infestation that is severe is to use a product that will target them specifically. That being said, there are some general rules you can follow when it comes to choosing the best chemical insecticides for getting rid of a ladybug infestation in your home:

First, choose a product that is meant for indoor use and that contains pyrethrins or piperonyl butoxide as its active ingredient. You should always read the label carefully before using any product, especially when using it indoors

Next, be sure you follow all directions carefully, including safety precautions and timing instructions for when the product should be applied in order for it to be effective against the ladybugs in your home.

Below are some of the products we recommend for getting rid of a ladybug infestation indoors.

HARRIS Lady Beetle Liquid Spray

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The Harris Liquid Insect Killer Spray is effective against ladybugs, and Asian Lady beetles, as well as other pests like bed bugs, cockroaches, ants, and other insects that invade your home. It has a fast knockdown effect so you don’t have to wait long before getting rid of the pests infesting your home or office building.

HARRIS Liquid Insect Killer Spray is a ready-to-use spray that kills ladybugs, aphids, and other pests.

To use this product indoors, first determine where the ladybugs have congregated in your home. Once you know the area of the infestation, you will need to spray the area where they are located, following the instructions carefully.

Be sure you remove any pet food dishes or water bowls from the room to be treated and allow the product to dry fully before letting children or pets back into treated areas.

Ortho Home Defense Max Indoor Insect Barrier

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Ortho Home Defense Max Indoor Insect Barrier is a ready-to-use aerosol spray that kills insects on contact and keeps on killing for up to eight weeks. It’s also weatherproof, so it can be used indoors and out.

This insect spray works by creating a barrier that kills bugs on contact. You can spray it anywhere you see signs of insects, including cracks or holes in the walls, windowsills and doorways.

In addition to killing bugs, this spray also prevents them from returning by forming an invisible barrier around your home’s exterior.

Ortho Home Defense Max Indoor Insect Barrier is available in a 16-ounce can or a 32-ounce multipurpose aerosol spray canister (MP). The multipurpose version has a wider spray pattern than the standard insecticide canister but works just as well at repelling pests from your home’s interior.

Raid Essentials Multi-Insect Killer

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Raid Essentials Multi-Insect Killer is a ready-to-use, non-staining and odorless insect killer that can help eliminate ladybug infestations indoors. This product is safe for use in homes with pets and children.

To use Raid Essentials Multi-Insect Killer, first remove any plant pots or other objects that could be damaged by the spray. Turn off air conditioners and fans to prevent the product from drying on any surfaces. Then spray the product directly onto insects and their eggs. Allow the product to dry before returning indoor plants or other items back into place.

Home Remedies You Can Use For Managing A Ladybug Infestation

Ladybugs tend to congregate in numbers, so vacuuming them can be an easy home remedy.

A ladybug infestation can be annoying and troublesome for homeowners. Even if you don’t mind the cute little red beetles, their presence in large numbers can cause serious distress.

Luckily, there are many ways to get rid of a ladybug infestation in your home, and not all of them require that you go out to the store or buy a product online. In fact, there are plenty of home remedies you can use to get rid of a ladybug infestation!

How to use companion planting to get rid of ladybugs

Companion planting is a form of farming where you plant certain plants near each other so that their natural properties can help the growth of each other. It can also be used by gardeners and homeowners to repel pests by making them feel uncomfortable in the area.

Most ladybug infestations begin outdoors before they begin indoors, so companion planting is a great place to begin when it comes to deterring these beetles. Some of the best plants you can plant around the perimeter of your house to keep ladybugs at bay include:

• Citronella
• Cloves
• Citrus
• Mums
• Peppermint
• Bay leaves
• Camphor
• Lavender
• And Catnip

How to make your own ladybug trap

You’ll need A bottle cap, a rubber band, a piece of paper, and some sugar water (equal parts sugar and water).

To make your own ladybug sticky trap:

Tape the paper to the top of the bottle cap so that it hangs over the side like an umbrella. Put some sugar water in the bottom of your new trap and hang it near an entry point where you see ladybugs entering your home most frequently. Wait 24 hours before checking on your sticky trap. If there are any ladybugs stuck inside, rinse them off with warm water then release them outdoors immediately!

How to use essential oils to get rid of ladybugs

Essential oils are natural substances extracted from plants or flowers that have a strong aroma. They can be used to repel insects and other pests. The effectiveness of essential oil will depend on the plant from which it was extracted and how much it’s diluted, but some are more effective than others for repelling insects. For example, peppermint oil is known for its ability to repel ants, fleas, and ticks while eucalyptus oil is effective against flies and mosquitoes.

To use essential oils to repel ladybugs, put some water in a spray bottle and add a few drops of peppermint oil or eucalyptus oil. Shake well before spraying the mixture around your home or in areas you have noticed ladybugs congregating. You can also spray this mist directly onto individual insects if needed.

How to use a vacuum to get rid of ladybugs indoors

As we mentioned earlier, you can also try getting rid of ladybugs by vacuuming them up. This will take care of the majority of the beetles in your home, as they tend to congregate in the same areas in large numbers.

After vacuuming up most of the ladybugs, remove any dead ones that remain on window sills or other surfaces inside your home. Then use sticky traps to catch any that you may have missed.

Ladybugs – Let’s Sum Them Up!

Though inside ladybugs are pests, outdoors they are very helpful.

You might think that the ladybug infestation in your house is just a common problem, but it’s actually not. For the most part, ladybugs are beneficial insects, and they help prevent other insects from attacking your home.

Ladybugs are not harmful to humans or animals. They don’t bite or sting and will not lay eggs in your food. You may find them on crops, lawns, or gardens where they help control aphids, spider mites, and scale bugs. They also eat pollen and nectar from plants in your home garden.

In fact, they are so beneficial that farmers will pay a fee to have their crops sprayed with ladybugs because they know that the ladybugs will help keep their crops healthy by eating pests such as aphids and mites that would otherwise damage their crops.

With all this stated, it’s much better to manage a ladybug infestation as opposed to eradicating ladybugs altogether. You can also take some steps to secure your home to reduce the chances of ladybugs getting inside during the colder months.

Use fine mesh screening on your windows and doors. This will help keep some ladybugs out of your home, but others may still get inside, so it’s important to use other methods of protection as well like sealing cracks and crevices around your home with caulk.

We also suggest installing an outdoor light that has an off switch. Remember, many ladybugs like to congregate around lights at night, so turning them off will deter them from entering your home.

Remove any standing water from your property. Ladybugs need water to survive and reproduce, so eliminating standing water will help prevent an infestation from occurring in the first place.

Last, use a form of pest control year-round to protect against a wide variety of garden pests, including aphids, caterpillars, whiteflies, mites, and other insects that will not only damage your garden but attract ladybugs.

If you find you cannot get rid of a ladybug infestation even after following all of our above tips and methods, it may be time to contact a professional pest control expert for help.

Best of luck and thanks for reading!