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Lady Bugs in the House #861513

Asked March 14, 2024, 8:26 PM EDT

We live in Seal Rock, just south of Newport. Lady bugs are appearing in our kitchen/eating area. As many as 30 to 40 at a time. They appear in the afternoons, particularly on warm sunny days. There are several large windows in this area and they are attracted to them. There is also a chandelier and when it is on they are attracted to the lights in the chandelier. There are 8 potted plants in this area, 6 fairly large and 2 small. One of the large potted plants has a history of scales. My theory is that they are laying eggs in the potted plants. We've looked in the pots for the pupa and larva but have not seen anything. There doesn't appear to be any opening to the outside they could come in through. We don't kill them. We catch them and release them outside. They don't appear anyplace else in then house (house is 2,800 sq ft and 2 story). My questions are: 1) where do they come from; and 2) how do we get rid of them? Thank you for your help.

Lincoln County Oregon

Expert Response

I've attached 2 photos of one of the lady bugs that are in our home.  They appear to be Asian Lady Bugs.  

The Question Asker Replied March 22, 2024, 7:15 PM EDT

Hello and thanks for your questions,

Potted plants/gardens are also attractive to many insects. I suspect that there's a tiny crack and/or crevice around your home that is giving them a chance to wander indoors. May need a building inspector or commercial pest control applicator to do an extensive inspection if you want to locate any potential openings that you may not be able to see. Insects don't have bones and are super tiny-- they can enter structures using minor cracks and/or crevices.

Lady beetles can also wander inside through HVAC access areas or even from the attic/basement, and eventually land in the room that you're finding them in where there's lots of natural sunlight.

Lady beetles like to overwinter inside homes during cooler, rainy seasons. Since it's early spring, you will continuously get more lady beetles until it warms up here in OR. Catching and releasing immediately may not be feasible since you are having recurring reinfestations.  You will need to vacuum the lady bugs on warm, sunny days and release them during that window of opportunity. Lady beetles will most likely not wander back indoors when it's warm and sunny outside.

It could also be possible that the potted plants may provide some sort of meal for the lady beetles. They prey on aphids, sometimes on scale insects, so you will need to also check your potted plants for any other insect activity. Maybe take the potted plants outside and dust off the scales/aphids that are thriving in those plants.

Lady beetles are tricky to control because you mostly need to seal all entry points around the home as that is the best approach.

I hope these tips help!

--Brittny J.

Brittny M. Jones Replied April 01, 2024, 2:52 PM EDT

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