Top Asian Lady Beetle Prevention Tips

Fall is fast approaching, whether we like it or not. It is always a little sad to see summer fade away, but the brilliant colors of Autumn make up for the warmer weather we may be missing out on. It is the time of the year when many of us are having furnaces cleaned, oil delivered, and wood chopped to combat the cold months ahead. It turns out that we are not the only ones getting ready. All over Louisville, folks are finding the outer walls of their homes being covered by hundreds of tiny Asian lady beetles who are also aware that winter will be along before we know it.

Each fall, the Asian lady beetles, often referred to as the lady bug, needs to find a warm, quiet place where they can gather to hide themselves away for the snowy season ahead. Often, their choice instinctively falls on human dwellings where they can generally live within the walls in relative peace and quiet until it is time to face the great outdoors again in spring. It’s true, the Asian lady beetle doesn’t leave any damage behind to the home, except the staining that they might leave on windows, curtains or furniture fabrics if they should happen to find their way into the main living space, but when they do move in, they can come in by the hundreds. It is also important to realize if the Asian lady beetle can get in, so can a multitude of other pests.

For most homeowners in Louisville, there is no such thing as a good infestation. Their mission is usually to keep bugs out at all costs. Below are 5 tips to help keep Asian lady beetles from making your home their winter hideaway.

Gaps

To keep Asian lady beetles out, it is essential that they are not given easy access points to get in. Search in and around the home for any wires or pipes coming in that leave even the tiniest gap around them. Search for water pipes, drainage pipes, gas lines, and cable wires that are coming in. If there is a gap use caulking to fill it.

Windows

One of the quickest ways to invite unwanted pests each year is neglected windows. Check all of the screens in the windows to make sure that they are not torn, bent or loose. The area around the windows themselves should be checked for any gaps and filled if they are there.

Doorways

Over time weather stripping can fall into disrepair, and the home can settle making gaps around the doorways expand. If you can see daylight around the doors check to make sure that the weather stripping along the top and sides does not need to be replaced. Installing door sweeps along the bottom can be helpful too.

Siding

Whether the home has vinyl siding, shingles, or painted clapboard the side of the home is the first place most homeowners will notice the Asian lady beetle as they gather before the cold weather hits. Making sure that the perimeter of the house doesn’t have broken siding or missing shingles or clapboards can help keep pests out.

Attic

Being a flying insect really can give an Asian lady beetle an advantage to get into the higher levels of a home without being noticed. Not having the vents sealed or screened or the chimney capped can be an open invitation to pests.

A sure way to keep pests like the Asian lady beetle from camping out in your walls this winter is to have Action Pest Control work with you to treat the perimeter of the home with the appropriate eco-friendly products that deter them from entering. Our technicians are experts at pointing out the key places where the Asian lady beetle can enter, and how to best address those areas. Call us today to learn more about our year-round home pest control plans that will keep lady bugs and other pests from becoming a problem throughout the year.