Ladybugs

[TankGirl]

The ant thread reminded me that I have a pest problem of my own - ladybugs. They're cute and all but truly the third floor is crawling with them. They are not present on the 2nd or 1st floors of the house - for some reason have never ventured down.

I have no idea where they are coming from or how to deal with them. I don't know their habits or how they nest (if they nest) so I don't know how to nip it in the bud. Killing the bugs I see does not seem to be controlling it. They have been with us the latter part of the winter. Anybody dealt with this?

TIA

[Meredith]

You can catch them and then sell them on e-bay as aphid eaters.

LOL

are you serious?

Yes, but they dont go for much...
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...sPageName=WDVW

my god

such idiots on the internet

you think they would be visiting webistes on fish help

LOL

Fedex your enemy some. Opens the box and ........

[An t-iasg]

There was an article in our paper about this. If you can find where they gather, get a shop vac and suck them all up. Then release them away from your house.

[Blucat]

Gardeners love ladybugs! Esp ppl who grow vegies and roses for shows

[mitche8359]

Wow. Usually they are a nuisance late in the fall when they are trying to find a place to winter over. The second year in out present house, we had hundreds of them. My wife wanted to kill them but I told her to let them be. They don't eat wood. They eventually disappeared by Christmas. Since that year we haven't seen them at all.

Maybe the ladybugs are emerging for the spring and will soon vacate?

[TankGirl]

Nope, they've been here all winter. Maybe I'll just keep on picking them up and putting them out the window for the roses, now that the weather is (just about) warm enough for them.

[QTOFFER]

Ladybugs are worth their weight in gold to farmers and gardeners because they have voracious appetites for aphids and other pests. Some people go out of their way to attract them (there are even little ladybug houses you can buy) - so some might consider you lucky!

Adult ladybugs can live for about a year (contrary to a common myth, the spots have nothing to do with their age - different species have different numbers/patterns of spots). In the Fall, they congregate together in large numbers and hibernate in hollow logs or under loose pieces of tree bark. It's also very common for them to make their way into houses as they seek a warm place to spend the Winter.

I would plug up any cracks around your windows and doors, so that ladybugs and other unwanted six-legged visitors can't get in. If you keep tossing them outside, they will repay you for your kindness by keeping your roses aphid-free.

[mandi]

I can sympathize -- we have a MAJOR ladybug problem here too. It isn't "that" bad because I do appreciate what a helpful little creature they are but just the fact that we have "bugs" in the house makes me feel dirty, no matter what kind of bug it is. For some reason the ones we have congregate in our son's bedroom - he used to love them but one day a ladybug managed to somehow end up in his ear and that was the end of him liking ladybugs!! Now I make daily bug patrols and gather them all up to take them outside.......We have looked and looked for how they are getting in to no avail

[Mazdaman]

one thing to remember is that nature has a cycle it goes through. sort of like population control. One summer you may have tons of flies and the next tons of spiders.... Ladybugts do no harm unless you pick them up and let them use your hand as a washroom. I'd just let them be and wait and see.

[TankGirl]

It is still hard to have bugs swarming around you and crawling up the walls, and on the sofa while you are sitting there. I know they are benign creatures, and I they are easy to ignore, but I'm tired of picking bug bits out of the kids' toys (this is the kids' playroom) and they are collecting inside the cover of the light fixture, so I have to keep emptying that out. Maybe now that the weather is warming up they'll prefer being out there - I can't imagine what the food source is for them inside.

[Fishyfanatic]

I know what you're going through TG. My parents used to have a MAJOR lady bug problem a couple years ago. The cleaning woman cleaned the windows and left one screen out of the bathroom window and left the window open. When I got home after work there were ladybugs on the walls. I sucked them up with the vac (central vac) and didn't think anything about it. Then they were everywhere. They were even alive inside of the central vac chamber. We found where they were hiding. It was inside of that fan thing that is in most bathrooms. They hatched inside of the fan and burned up the motor. We found it when it had to be replaced.

They have their house sprayed four times a year and ever since they started getting that done, we haven't had any ladybugs in the house, or ANY bug for that matter. You may want to call a professional and have them come out and spray. I don't know how often it has to be done, but they have it done at the turn of each season to ward off other bugs such as ants, spiders, roaches, things of that sort. It's nice to not have to ever worry about a bug being in that house.

The worst part was when it was my dad's birthday and we were all sitting at the kitchen table singing happy birthday and a ladybug flew right into a candle and started on fire. YUCK!

[Meredith]

LOL!! OH no. That really is sad but oh so funny!

[TankGirl]

Thank goodness we have had no flaming ladybugs so far 8O That's a dramatic touch to any b-day party, lol.

I kindof hate to kill them, like I like to protect praying mantis bugs when I see them outside, too, since they are beneficial outdoors. I think they must be coming in the vent that is in the peak of the roof, right over this room, so maybe if I take a gander up in the attic I'll see where they are coming from. If I could encourage the lot of them outside I'd be happy. If they can get in that way then other less benign bugs could get in, too, so I need to see about sealing it up somehow.

Thanks everyone!