Ladybugs in the House?
Chelsea O'Donnell
This week I received an email from a reader that read: Hi Bob, I was wondering if you know why I recently started finding ladybugs in my house. They seem to be congregating around the windows in one bedroom specifically. Why are they coming in and how do I get rid of them? Help!
This is a great question and a popular problem. My reader was surprised when I asked her if she has a light colored house, which she does. Strangely, ladybugs are attracted to light colored houses and the heat that reflects off them, which makes her home more susceptible to an infestation. I then asked her if the windows in question face southwest, which they do. I’m not a psychic but the reason I am getting the answers to these questions right is because ladybugs are very specific creatures of habit and certain traits make a house the perfect home for them. Warm and bright are the key components for a dream den.
Like many insects and animals, ladybugs hibernate during the winter and wake up in the spring. They find tiny cracks and crevices, generally around windows, to creep into a home and rest for the colder months. When they find a comfortable spot, they release a pheromone to attract others, which is why you generally find more than one or two. Then they rest through the winter and start to wake up around now, not unlike our bear population.
While ladybugs might seem problematic, they are actually harmless. Unlike other wood and fabric eating insects, ladybugs won’t feast on your home. On the contrary, as the weather warms, they actually look to get back outside. So if you are willing to be patient, the bugs will leave on their own. However, if you have a large infestation or just hate the idea of bugs in your house, the best thing to do is to vacuum them up and dispose of them outdoors. Why a vacuum? Killing the bugs in a way that is stressful will cause them to release their own blood, a yellow substance called hemolymph. This is a ladybug’s way of telling a predator that they are a no good meal, but hemolymph also stains and stinks. Using a vacuum is gentler and will allow you to get the bugs back outside alive which is exactly where they want to be.
As I mentioned, ladybugs will make their way back outside in the next few weeks but that doesn’t mean they won’t come back in the fall. Your best bet is to seal those southwest facing windows to keep the bugs out and the heat in. Use caulk for small gaps or buy some weatherstripping to create a tighter seal around windows. Also, be sure to remove air conditioning units once the summer is over. Leaving them in will absolutely give ladybugs and opportunity to settle in for another season of comfort in your home.
Bob O'Donnell is the owner of O'Donnell Bros, Inc., a Bristol-based home improvement company established in 1975. Email your questions for Bob to info@odonnellbros.com with the subject line “Ask the Pro”. All questions may be considered for publication. To contact Bob for your remodeling needs, call O'Donnell Bros, Inc. at (860) 589-5155 or visit www.odonnellbros.com. Advice is for guidance only.