Ladybugs

December 18, 2008 6:14 AM

How do ladybugs get inside without being smushed?
posted by docloch to home & garden (4 comments total)

Cracks around windows and doors; via the crawl space and openings for HVAC vents, electricity, plumbing, etc; on plants and other things brought in from outside; or by hitching a ride on people and pets.
posted by TedW at 6:27 AM on December 18, 2008

As TedW says, they find cracks and gaps. They often find their way indoors while looking for somewhere to hibernate as the weather gets cold.

If you're finding a lot of them in your house, consider relocating the ones you find in a purpose-built ladybug house. It's worth aiding their survival as they're really prolific exterminators of garden pests such as aphids.
posted by le morte de bea arthur at 7:03 AM on December 18, 2008

I've noticed that a large proportion of lady bugs inside my house get in by grabbing a hold of my clothes while I'm outside.
posted by simplethings at 7:44 AM on December 18, 2008

The American ladybug species didn't do this as much, but the invasive Asian lady beetle does. They are practicing what they would do in their natural habitat (generally Chinese cliffsides).

Fortunately, some caulking will probably stop them getting in, and they can just be vacuumed up (but don't crush them).

One year we had thousands of them in one of our vacant properties around this time -- they got in through gaps in the aluminum siding and cracked plaster. Swarming en masse on and in the walls. Creepy and fascinating at once. We opted to do nothing until spring, but by then, they were completely gone -- not even carcasses. *shrug* Obviously it's different if you're sharing living space.
posted by dhartung at 4:19 PM on December 18, 2008