If you want to know how to rid your home or garden of them, then I’ll provide you with useful tips on how to get rid of Asian lady beetles.
Asian lady beetles, I must say, are very good looking insects. Some species of this bug are beneficial to both the gardener and the plants because they eat smaller destructive pests.
However, some species of this bug feast on the plants themselves, and that could be a real problem for the gardener.
Stay with me!
About Asian Lady Beetles
Asian lady beetles are beautiful insects. They come in different color combinations, ranging from orange to yellow, to red. They are also characterized by several black spots on their back.
Beauty aside, some species help with ridding your garden of harmful insects, while some eat the plants. They also have a really bad smell, especially when they are in large numbers. Even worse, when they are smashed.
A crushed Asian lady beetle leaves behind a yellowish substance that can stain your way or clothing.
They are usually outdoor bugs but will sneak into your home around September/November to overwinter.
How To Get Rid Of Asian Lady Beetles In Your Home
During the winter season, Asian lady beetles will find a way to get into your home and seek shelter. The problem is, they usually come in large numbers. With their stench, you will be inconvenienced.
Use these tips to get rid of them in your home.
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Sweep Or Vacuum Them Away
Since they come in significant numbers, they will be easy to spot. When you find them wandering around your home, you can simply grab a broom, sweep them up, and place them back outside.
You could also use a vacuum to do the same. The only problem with this approach is that they may find their way back into your home (that’s if you’re not willing to kill them).
When sweeping or vacuuming, you should target the areas where they are most likely to be found – when they can get food.
Keeping in mind that both of these bugs eat either smaller insects or leaves, then a great place to look is your indoor flower pots. Smaller insects are attracted to plants, and the plant itself serves as food for some.
Take a quick look around your flower pots to see if they have made themselves at home. If you find them there, then use your broom to sweep them to the ground and into the dustpan. You can also vacuum them up when they fall.
You should also check in-between the cracks in your walls, as tiny insects tend to hide in there. The Asian ladybug in search of food will also look there to see if it can find anything to eat.
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Pick Them Up And Place In An Empty Jar
This process will require two things. First, you must not have a phone for insects, since picking them up requires direct physical contact between you and them. Secondly, you need to be patient, as picking them up will take time, especially when they are many and scattered across different areas of your home.
Go round your home with an empty glass jar and pick them up one by one until you can’t find any more.
After gathering as many as you can find, take them outside and dispose of them.
Once again, the problem with this method is that they can make their way back in if you don’t kill them.
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Swat Them
I have mentioned before that Asian ladybugs have a terrible smell, and it gets worse when they are smashed. They also release a yellowish substance that stinks when it is released from their bodies.
That being said, you will need to be careful when swatting them. You will want to hit them hard enough to stun or kill them, but soft enough to prevent splatter.
Get a simple fly swatter and go round the areas where they converge and begin swatting.
This method has an advantage over the first two, being that swatting can kill or maim them, which will make it hard or impossible for them to make their way back into your home.
The major disadvantage with this method of Asian lady beetle removal is the bad smell from the yellow substance it releases, and of course the stains it can leave on your surfaces.
If you can tolerate the smell for the time being, and don’t mind cleaning up the stains, then this method will suit you just fine.
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Use An Insecticide
If making contact with the beetles irritate or scare you, then you can go the easy route and just buy a strong insecticide.
Go to a local pest control store near you and ask for a spray that will kill the bugs upon contact. Many brands will be recommended to you, the choice is yours.
After purchasing your insecticide, go to the rooms where they are active and spray into the open spaces.
You will want to try an organically made insecticide, especially if you have indoor plants. Insecticides with organic content will not harm your indoor plants, but a toxic one would.
Only use a toxic insecticide if the beetles are in areas where children, pets, and plants are absent. Also, keep the container away from where infants and pets can access them.
Ways To Get Rid Of Asian Lady Beetles In Your Yard
Before these bugs creep into your home, they would have had their base outside, most likely in your garden, since that environment provides more than enough food for both species (insect-eating species and plant-eating species).
The insect-eating species can be considered to be “friends” since they help you get rid of pests that harm your plants. The plant-eating species on the other hand can be considered “enemies” since they destroy the plants you work so hard to maintain.
To get rid of the plant-eating Asian lady beetle, follow the tips below.
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Introduce A Predator
There are quite a few larger animals that find Asian lady beetles delicious. Frogs and some species of lizards are among these animals.
You can get an adequate amount of frogs and introduce them to your garden. They will do the rest.
Most small lizards eat bugs too, so you can also introduce them to your garden. All you have to do is sit back and let nature take its course.
There is something you should consider before you employ this method though. The predators will not only eat the plant-eating Asian lady beetles, but they will also eat beneficial insects as well.
The good thing here is that, as long as the predators eat all the bugs, then you wouldn’t be needing the beneficial beetles anymore right?
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Blast Them Off Your Trees And Mulch
If you find Asian lady beetles munching away at your plants, then you can employ a very direct approach and hose them away.
Connect a hose to a water source that’s long enough to reach where the plants are. Walk up to each plant one by one and start blasting them off your trees.
Aim the hose at different parts of the tree so you can get them all, even the ones that are hiding.
When you are done with this, get enough mulch and apply at the base of the disinfested trees. The mulch should be about 3 inches thick, so the beetles will find it difficult or impossible to creep through the mulch and make their way back up the tree.
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Use A Pesticide
Visit a gardening store near you and ask for the perfect pesticide to fight off Asian lady beetles in your garden.
They are in the best position to recommend one to you.
When you’ve made your purchase, head back to your garden and spray the pesticide on the affected plants. These will kill as many Asian lady beetles as they come in contact with.
You can also make your organic pesticide at home.
There are so many combinations you can try. These include garlic and chili, cayenne pepper, and need oil, and vice versa. You can also make a pesticide solution with each of these elements on their own, although a combination would be more lethal.
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Call A Pest Control Expert
Besides the cost implications, hiring the services of a pest control service is the easiest way out.
Have them come over your yard to assess the level of infestation. They will know what substances to use against the Asian lady beetles in a manner that would be safe for the plants and the residents of your home.
Preventing Them From Entering Your Home
It’s really simple, seal off all cracks and spaces where they can creep through. You can also introduce natural predators to eat them up before they have the chance to come in.
Conclusion
Asian lady beetles can be both beneficial and destructive but are an inconvenience when they make their way into your home, regardless of the species.
Hopefully, the tips provided here on how to get rid of Asian lady beetles have been of help.
Good luck!