Nobody likes a messy roommate, but what do you do when hundreds or even thousands of them show up at your door looking for a quick meal?
Nobody would ever suspect the famous lady bug to be the odorous freeloader that she is, but these insects thrive off the aphids, fruit flies, thrips, mites, and other plant-damaging insects that call your property home. Their common name does little to describe what these bugs really are. First of all, not all lady bugs are ladies, there are male lady bugs. Second, lady bugs aren't really bugs at all. They are beetles, known as Ladybird beetles (coccinellidae). There are over 5,000 international species of these beetles with 500 species in the US alone. Ladybird beetles come in shades of red, yellow, orange, brown, pink, and even all black. Some ladybird beetles even have stripes instead of spots, and a few species have no markings at all.
While they are generally considered harmless to humans, these beetles will occasionally bite when threatened. Their real concern to homeowners? Their smelly, messy habits.
The bright coloring of these beetles warns predators of their bitter taste. For added protection, they secrete a vile liquid from their hind legs. The odor is marginal when dealing with a single beetle, but when they show up in the thousands, property owners are sure to notice.
Ladybug prevention tips
Those who reside in light-colored structures have a higher risk for infestations than those in dark-colored buildings. To keep the ladybird beetle swarms away, follow these five simple preventative tips.
- Seal up any cracks or crevices around the foundation or walls of your home.
- Gaps in windows and doors allow swarms to creep in over a long period of time. Replace screens with holes or tears, and caulk cracks or fissures in doors or kick-plates.
- For added protection, add door sweeps to doors that lead outside.
- Add a chimney cap, replace missing roof shingles, and fill in holes along the roofline.
- Prune trees, flowers, and shrubs and other plants away from the outside of your home.
It’s important to remember that these beetles often come in swarms, thus negating the effects of preventative measures. If swarms begin to take over your property, call a reputable pest control agency in your area.
Target your pests with Arrow
Ladybird beetle swarms will quickly become an impossible nuisance once they begin to swarm around your home. If you are experiencing a severe infestation or need advice related to these colorful beetles, don’t hesitate to contact Arrow Pest Control right away.
Arrow is proud to offer the residents of New Jersey the superior training and extensive knowledge needed to control pests of all kinds. To kick ladybugs (or other beetles, insects, or pest animals) out of your home or yard, reach out to the professionals at Arrow Pest Control today.
Home Protection Program
Service consists of the elimination of your current pest or rodent problem, complemented by both interior and exterior year-round protection of your home, which is inclusive of three seasonal visits. The program covers your entire property including attics, mailboxes, playsets, sheds, and fences.
Pests targeted with Arrow’s Home Protection Plan services include ants (excluding carpenter ants, pharaoh ants and acrobatic), bees, boxelder bugs, carpenter bees, carpet beetles, centipedes, cicada killers, clover mites, crickets, digger bees, earwigs, fabric & paper pests, fleas (inside only), ground beetles, hornets, mice, pillbugs, millipedes, rats, roaches, silverfish, sowbugs, spiders, springtails, stored product pests, and wasps.
*If you have a pool house that requires service, pricing would increase based upon the size of the structure.
