Stopping Asian Lady Beetles from Getting Inside Your Home

So its that time of year again, Asian Lady Beetles are out in full force. Asian Lady Beetles require warm temperatures for survival. In all they are a fairly delicate insect who act on instinct for survival. “Why do they come inside my home?” you ask. Taking the time to observe the behavior of Asian Lady Beetles in the fall, you will notice in the morning that they are on the side of your house that gets the morning sun. Later in the day they will continue to follow the suns pattern, adjusting their location to the warmest exterior wall of your home. In the evening they usually will be heavily concentrated on the west/southwest side of your house. When the nighttime temperatures begin to get cold, Asian Lady Beetles crawl under your siding or trim to gain access to the space between your walls. Once inside the wall, Asian Lady Beetles simply find a way into your house. Asian Lady Beetles are not an infesting insect, they are a nuisance pest.

To combat this unwanted activity, we must treat the entire exterior of the home. This is important to know since Asian Lady Beetles have the ability to fly, albeit not very graceful. You can do this yourself without having to contact a Pest Control Professional, which can cost between $150 – $250 for a one time treatment. I will show you how to do it yourself for a fraction of the price.

First, you will need to get some silicone sealant and fill any cracks and crevices around doors, windows and your foundation. Once you have done that, you are ready to treat the exterior of your home. Ortho Home Defense Max Exterior Treatment is a good choice for Asian Lady Beetles as they are not a real hardy insect. This is the easy part, simply spray the exterior of your home with the insecticide making sure to treat around windows, doors, foundation and soffit’s (under the overhang of the roof). Be careful not to over-spray any one area as gravity will take over before it can dry and it will all run to the ground instead of staying on the house. Try not to spray the glass on windows and doors as it will make them murky and dirty looking.

One thing you should know is when Asian Lady Beetles come into contact with insecticide, once it has disrupted their system, they will throw up before they die. This excrement can leave an unsightly green/brown residue on your siding. For those of you who have lightly colored siding you should be aware of this. This excrement will wash off but it does look gross especially if the activity level is heavy.

Due to our ever changing weather patterns, it may be necessary to treat your home more than once a season to gain maximum effectiveness. Typically a homeowner can treat an average size home in about 30-45 minutes. If you have a two story home, take care when using a ladder and always remember “Safety First”.

If left untreated and Asian Lady Beetles find their way into your walls and home they will likely die there. If they die inside your wall voids this can lead to a potential problem from an infesting insect, the Larder Beetle. The Larder Beetle will eat the carcasses of dead Asian Lady Beetles for food. You are wondering about the Asian Lady Beetles that come into contact with the insecticide and die in the wall void anyways as opposed to dying outside. Not to worry, the insecticide remains active, even on the dead insects, when the Larder Beetle consumes the deceased Asian Lady Beetle they also consume the insecticide killing them as well.

Now you know what Asian Lady Beetles behaviors are and how to keep them out of your home. Take the time to do it right and you will have nothing to worry about all year.