Are Lady Bugs Invading Your Home?

These friends of your garden can be an indoor nuisance

By Donna Campbell Smith

Todd Warner wants to know how to get rid of Asian lady beetles that have invaded his home. Photo courtesy of Todd Warner.

Todd Warner, who lives in central North Carolina, reached out to his Facebook friends for a solution to his ladybug invasion. They were getting into his historic home during one of February’s warm spells.

Todd got a lot of advice—from vacuuming them up and releasing them back outdoors, to hanging lemons in his windows to repel them. When I read the posts, I was dismayed to learn ladybugs were being considered a nuisance. I’ve always thought of them as friends to the gardener, gobbling up aphids and other unwanted vegetable-eating insects. But when another Carolina Country reader, a Union Power Cooperative member from Ridgefield, called the magazine about a similar problem, it was time to get to the bottom of this ladybug conundrum.

Asian Lady beetles (Harmonia axyridis) can be found in various color and spot variations. Photo courtesy of ©entomart.

Identifying the culprit

First, I must get my terminology right.

The ladybug that folks are concerned about is not our native red-with-black-spots ladybug longheld in high esteem and featured in children’s literature. Even this home-grown ladybug is properly named lady beetle . There is a difference, I learned, between a bug and a beetle. The swarming beetles Todd and many other homeowners want gone are another beetle altogether. This orange-with-black-to-brownish-spots beetle is native to Asia. The Multicolored Asian lady beetle was first introduced in the 1920s to the Southeast and Washington State by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to control aphids, which is a favorite food of the beetles. They apparently didn’t do well in the United States, as none were to be found within a few years. Then, decades later, they began to show up in Louisiana. Apparently, they were accidently re-introduced via a freighter in a New Orleans port. They made their way to North Carolina by 1992. And, as intended, they have been an asset for gardeners and farmers, happily doing the same job as their American cousins, the red-and-black lady beetle.

What makes the Asian variety a problem for some folks is their propensity to crawl through the tiniest cracks and crevasses and enter homes, attracted by the light indoors. They can secrete a yellowish fluid that stains walls and furniture — yuck! They are also known to bite if handled, although it’s a mild bite.

There are four stages in the life cycle of the Asian lady beetle — egg, larva, pupa and adult. Eggs are laid in early spring on the underside of leaves. They hatch out in three to five days. The larva stage lasts about 12–14 days. During that time, they each eat dozens of aphids every day. Then pupa is formed, attached to leaves. The adult emerges from the pupa in five to six days. Adults spend the winter hibernating in protected places, like hollow logs or the walls of houses. Some adults live up to three years.

Cluster of Asian lady beetles inside Todd Warner’s home. Photo courtesy of Todd Warner.

Mitigation measures

Martha Mobley, extension agent in Franklin County, advises vacuuming the beetles up and releasing them in the garden, as they are beneficial. Todd worries that when released, they will just come back inside. The good news is, in spring the beetles depart to find food and begin their life cycles anew.

The “ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” credo is the best approach. Caulk outside cracks and crevices before the lady beetles start looking for places to over-winter. This has the added benefit of saving money on your energy costs.

Spraying with insecticide is not very effective and can be harmful to people and pets. Sweeping or vacuuming them away, as Martha suggested, is the most economic, effective and safe solution to getting rid of the beetles.

And for those who’d like to have some Asian lady beetles to protect their gardens from bad insects (or native ladybugs), they can be ordered from Amazon.com for about $12 for a few thousand.

Or maybe Todd will give you some at no charge.

About the Author

Donna Campbell Smith is a Carolina Country contributing writer who lives in Franklin County.

Spiders, insects and other crawlies

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Comments (11)

First of all I don't have a garden, so what can I do to get rid of these annoying pest, I am so tired of them nesting on my back screen door, I can't go outside without them getting all over me, when I open the door they immediately fly inside the house, I need HELP!!
Vivian Johnson |
November 21, 2021 |
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I know what you’re dealing with. Walmart.com sells a pesticide that kills them “Asian Beetles” they’re a nuisance, they get in the house, can’t be outside because they’re present in the millions. When they choose to awaken every October I can’t open my windows for fresh air because they get through the screens. Never seen anything like it!
Jacqueline Bruder |
October 29, 2022 |
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At the end of October, I witnessed the first lady beetles of the season, early this week they started invading my back screen door, I went out to get my mail, and they got all over me, all in my face everywhere, they are such a nuisance, I used insect spray to keep them at bay, some of them ended up in the ceiling of my utility area, I have been dealing with these pest for the last 15 years, somebody, anybody please suggest what can I do to get rid of them, there season lasts through March or April.
Vivian Johnson |
November 04, 2022 |
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Reachimg for pesticides should always be a last resort! Vacuum the little buggers up in a hand vac or standard machine and dispose of. A few weeks of minor maintenance is preferred over introducing chemical toxins to your home, people, and pets.
Belinda Sellers |
November 04, 2022 |
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My family is going through the same thing. We live in NC and have never seen any have lived in our home 29years and have never seen anything like this they're all over the house outside. Can't go out in the day time without coming back in with some on your clothes. If someone know what to do to get rid of them please respond.
Tuesday Taylor |
November 07, 2022 |
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- If we're all talking about the same type of bug, our exterminator said to spray them with a solution of specifically Dawn dish detergent and water! Haven't tried it yet though. They said these pests start in early October and will be gone within a week or two as which will be around November 20th or so.
  Jim Perrone |
  November 09, 2022 |
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I think that's what we're seeing for the first time. Ours were black looking ladybugs.... but now they're getting bigger and worse. My wife says they're coming after her outside. Are they new to the area or are we even talking about the same thing??
Jim Perrone |
November 08, 2022 |
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If we're all talking about the same type of bug, our exterminator said to spray them with a solution of specifically Dawn dish detergent and water! Haven't tried it yet though. They said these pests start in early October and will be gone within a week or two as which will be around November 20th or so.
Jim Perrone |
November 09, 2022 |
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They're little black tiny ladybugs. Not the original size or color. On warm days is the worst but cold days since it's Fall time you might not see them at all. But when it's warm and they're in flying around in bunches. They're a pain, getting on your clothes in your hair just a nuisance whenever you go out. Thank you for the advice I will definitely try your rimmidy
Tuesday Taylor |
November 10, 2022 |
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This is the first year we've ever seen them. I think they're new? I talked to my coworkers who live in other counties and they haven't seen or heard of them! What the.....
Jim Perrone |
November 11, 2022 |
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I live overlooking a lot of forest and we get a ton of these every year. I agree with the author that for your home you should be caulking etc;however, I disagree insecticide doesn't work. I use a hose end sprayer to spray my outside walls, windows etc particularly on the south west side of the house. Traizicide is the poison. They land on the house, crawl around and then die. We get very few inside since I started doing this. They are invasive so I am not hurting the species and they are not native anyway! (the Asian beetles introduced by the forest service)
Chris |
March 26, 2023 |
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Are Lady Bugs Invading Your Home?