Gardening Tips: What to Do When Ladybugs Swarm in the Fall

Ladybugs swarming in the fall are looking for a place of shelter in homes and outbuildings to hibernate during the coming winter months. Although the south side of trees and rotting logs are the natural habitat for hibernation, ladybugs often congregate on the south side of buildings and houses and are amazingly good at finding their way inside homes. There may be ladybugs crawling up walls, across ceilings and hiding in drapes or shades.

Keeping Ladybugs out of your home:

Keeping Ladybugs out of your home can be difficult. The beetles will enter through cracks around windows, doors, siding, and pipes. If a Ladybug can enter your home, so can cold air in the winter. Seal all cracks with caulk and secure weather-stripping around doors. Repair any window or door screens. During the swarming period, keeping doors and windows closed will eliminate some intrusion from the unwanted beetles. Red wasps like to feed on Ladybug beetles and swarming beetles and red wasps can be a hazard. Use caution when red wasps are present!

Spraying the swarming beetles crawling on the house with a water hose deters them from entering your home. This action is only effective if done two to three times daily during the swarming period, which only lasts two to three days.

Spray around door frames and window frames with a bug spray containing pyrethrins or permethrin. The beetles will avoid the sprayed areas and if they do crawl across the residue they will die.

Getting rid of the Ladybugs once inside your home:

The beetle cannot live inside your home. Using a vacuum to gather them up or a broom and dustpan are all that is necessary. Ladybugs native to North America do not bite (although some imported species do), do not sting, carry diseases, nor feed on wood, clothing, or food. Once gathered up, deposit the beetles back outside so they can be beneficial to the garden next spring when they consume aphids and scale insects. Tolerate the beetles. They are just trying to find a safe place to live through the winter.

Conclusion:

Ladybugs have a scientific name of Coccinellidae. They are called Ladybirds in Britain, Australia, and in South Africa. Only in North America are the beetles called Ladybugs. There are over 5,000 species found worldwide and more than 450 species native to North America alone.

Tradition says that one's wish is granted if a Ladybug lands on a person. Children will capture the beetle, make a wish and then release it to go back home to make the wish come true. If Ladybugs invade your home, rejoice in the good fortune!