Invasion of the ladybugs: 7 natural methods to keep them away from your home
Most people don't really like insects in general, but ladybugs are amongst the few that most can tolerate. With their unmistakable appearance - red with black dots - it is fun to find them on some leaf in the garden or on the balcony. They are even thought to be lucky charms, and you will certainly have seen them in the form of jewels, accessories or as a decorative motif on clothes and an infinite number of other objects. They are even the subject of many children's drawings.
Usually, therefore, they are not considered a pest: in fact, they can be advantageous in the garden (they eat aphids, for example). But when they swarm or invade your home, you may have to consider ways of removing them (or keeping them at arm's length from the home).
If you see ladybugs in the garden or on the balcony, don't remove them. As mentioned, ladybugs feed on a wide range of parasites and insects that are harmful to plants. They feed on the larvae and smaller insects, so they become a form of natural pest control that is much better than using pesticides (which are often harmful to plants and other beneficial insects).
Ladybugs, for example, are (together with the neuroptera, aka lacewings) often deliberately introduced to an area to combat cochineal bug infestations!
How to keep ladybugs away from the home
On rare occassions ladybugs appear, in large quantities, in the home. This usually happens in winter, when they seek shelter and/or when they hibernate, and they reproduce very quickly too.
Since these are harmless, beneficial insects, try to get expert advice and help on how to deal with a ladybug infestation. Just please don't kill them using an insecticide.
Short of this, you can try the following:
- Use a light trap: there are some traps like this on the market, or you can make one yourself using a plastic bottle, a light bulb and very little else. With these traps, you will attract all the ladybugs into a container, and you can release them outside of the home.
- If there are not too many, and are concentrated in one place, put on a pair of gloves and take a stiff piece of paper or card and a dustpan. Try to dislodge the ladybugs and move them into the dustpan and release them outside. Similarly, you might try placing them into a container. Some will fly off, but you will be able to remove the majority.
- Vacuum cleaner: this is certainly a less gentle method, but you may still be able to free some of the survivors outdoors.
Repellants
Among the natural methods to keep ladybugs away from your home are:
- Chrysanthemums: planted around entry points (typically old window frames and similar), these plants act as a repellent against a lot of unwanted insects.
- Essential oils (lavender, lemon, citronella): add these oils to the products you use to wash the surfaces of the home, especially near doors and windows, or prepare homemade sprays for the same purpose.
- Cloves or bay leaves: these plants also repel ladybugs (and many other insects), so DIY remedies based on these ingredients will be useful in repelling pests.
Have you ever been invaded by ladybugs at home?
