Lady Bugs!!!

Factual Questions
1

Hey everyone,

Love the forum.

I have been infested with Lady Bugs ( Asian variety)

They are everywhere!. I have a very large house with hundreds of places for these things to hide and enter ( into attic).

I recently went into the attic and I can see tonnes of little communities huddled in every nook and cranny.

I want to kill these suckers!

What is the best and stongest pesticide I can apply to kill them. I want to go into my attic with my garden sprayer and spray in all the places to kill them. I would also like something that has a residual effect as well.

Thanks for all your effforts.

2

I have that problem every few years as well. So far I have no answers, but will be watching this thread.

3

A five-second Google search brought up:

Source: How to Get Rid of Lady Bugs

Source: Ladybug Facts - Learn About Nature
I would caution the use of any pesticide in your home, basement or attic. While your intent may be to eradicate something you consider a pest, you also run the risk of injuring anything else in your home, such as you, your family and your pets.

4

I use a vacuum for large masses, and a pieces of duct tape for up to maybe thirty. I know the duct tape ones are permanently gone. I capture maybe 10 and fold the tape over and make sure the edges completely seal.The duct tape works good in that the house doesn’t fill with that stink, which causes breathing problems for me.

Here’s a hint. They head to white and light. The siding of a white house in the sun is a beacon.

5

By the way, getting sucked into a vacuum cleaner often does not kill the lady bugs. They’re very sturdy. You can spray insecticide into the running vac, or change the bag. If you just put the machine away, they’ll crawl right back out.

6

Are you aware that they sell ladybugs?
http://www.growquest.com/ladybugs.htm

7

They sell rats too, but I doubt big builder wants then in the attic either.

8

Repeat after me:

Ladybug, ladybug fly away home…

9

I have been doing the shopvac thing for about a year now and it doesn’t do anything.

Remember we are talking about hordes here!!!

What I need is a large scale solution. I am currently putting bug screens inside all my soffits ( big job) and going around and sealing all the cracks and stuff.

I have read pretty much all the posts online aobut this subject.

I am considering setting off a whack of flea or roach bombs in the attic.

What to you people think about that?

I have also read that prerethrin ( spelling?) will kill them. I don’t know how dangerous that stuff is though.

10

I don’t suppose that will be these Asian harlequin ones though.

11

Duckster,

I think the doyourown…is the best source I have found yet.

Now I have to see if I can get the stuff. Might be that you need a licence to buy.

I will find out.

12

oh ya.

I was encouraged to read that they don’t reproduce inside.

Maybe a little hope here.

13

[ObAliens]
Nuke 'em from orbit - it’s the only way to be sure
[/ObAliens]

Brian

14

Non-toxic trap.

15

Tried them. Only good if you are interested in catching a few.

I really don’t want to look at fifty of those around my house.

16

A $10 do-it-yourself trap from one of my colleagues!

17

Perhaps you’re dealing with a different critter-the multicolored Asian lady beetle.

18

But, they’re Asian ladybugs. Do you know the rhyme in Mandarin? :wink:

19

As the OP says in the OP?

20

From what I know of these bugs, they are almost impossible to get rid of. In college, my roommate and I counted over 500 in our dorm room. *That was one room. * If you live near any farm land, that is probably the source of your problem. Farmers bring them in every year as a pesticide, and then when the crops are harvested, the little buggers invade everywhere they can. It also does not help to have screens on your windows as the devils will chew right through them. I know a lot of people who vaccuum them, but if you vaccuum them alive you do have that awful smell.

I’m sorry I don’t have a real answer–I don’t think there is one.