Ladybug Classification

December 1st, 2008 Posted in Beetles & Ladybugs, Ornamental & Lawn Pests



You used to like ladybugs – they were cute. They adorn children’s clothing and accessories. There are nursery rhymes that sing their praises. They are a symbol of luck, right there with the four leaf clover. They were all these things to you, until you were invaded. They came in the end of October with no warning. They invaded your home and took over, taking refuge on your walls, ceilings, and windowsills like little red spotted squatters. They’re cute no more!

This article will answer:

  • What are ladybugs?
  • Why are they a problem?
  • How can you get rid of ladybugs?
    1. Seal off all cracks and entrances where the pests could enter. Check around doors, windows and in less occupied areas like attics, basements, and garages for potential entry points.
    2. Put netting over vents and other openings that are not able to be sealed off.

    • What are Ladybugs?

    Ladybugs are generally one of the more popular bugs, right up there with the butterfly. However, when hundreds to thousands of them invade your home, they definitely lose their appeal.

    • Ladybugs, ladybirds, and lady beetles (same bug, different names) are members of the Coccinellidae family

    • There are actually over five thousand species of ladybugs with a wide array of colors besides the ever popular red, spotted variety

    • Ladybugs are generally considered to be a helpful bug…. Their main food source is aphids – tiny little bugs that feed upon crops and other plants

    • Many people actually release ladybugs onto their farms and gardens as a means of controlling aphid populations

    You may find yourself asking… where did ladybugs go wrong? Why would I want to get rid of them if they’re so helpful?

    The Asian Lady Beetle

    Ladybugs went wrong with the Asian Lady Beetle, or Harmonia axyridis.

    • The Asian Lady Beetle is actually the main home invading ladybug pest found throughout North America

    • With origins in Asia, it’s widely debated how the population became so massive in North America

    • While many believe it was due to the releasing of these foreign bugs to control aphids, there is also a theory that Asian Lady Beetles came from an accidental release by an Asian freighter that had docked in New Orleans

    • Their color usually ranges in an orange palette, and they are around ¼ of an inch long

    Check out this video of a ladybug to see for yourself:

    The number of spots can vary from many to none. They can actually live for up to three years, so once they’ve found you, they’ll be around for awhile. They lay eggs on the undersides of leaves in the springtime, and it takes them only a month to go from egg to an adult, actively seeking out your home for a winter hideaway.

    Asian Lady Beetles hibernate over the winter, which is what leads to their home invasions as they seek warm places to sleep away the winter. They are generally seen at the end of October, starting to flock to homes to find settling places. They seem to be attracted to light colored buildings as well as places that are illuminated and warmed by the sun. When one beetle lands, more follow, suggesting some sort of yet undiscovered pheromone connection between the bugs.

    They Don’t Act Very Lady-like!

    They can swarm in the thousands, seeking out winter vacation homes to nap away in. They congregate on the sun-warmed sides of houses, slipping into cracks and finding any other unprotected ways into your home. Once they’ve found sufficient places to winter away, you get to experience them yet again when they decide to wake up in the early warm days of March when they start their venture to get back outside to lay those eggs.

    They’ll be everywhere and anywhere once they’ve invaded. But wait, they have even more lovely charms to turn you off!

    Blood: When ladybugs are disturbed or angry, they release a nasty smelling yellow-orange fluid that can stain walls and carpeting. This is actually their blood. Crushing or stepping on ladybugs will also release this foul liquid, so don’t try it if you’re looking for a fast removal method.

    Biting: Ladybugs can and do bite. While it’s not dangerous or particularly painful, it can be uncomfortable. Being bit by anything is no fun.

    Allergies: You can actually be allergic to ladybugs! There have been a few cases of people actually being allergic to ladybugs themselves. People are also allergic to their expelled blood. Symptoms can result from eye irritation to asthma like symptoms.

    Wine: Asian Lady Beetles are also a problem in the wine industry. Because of their stinky blood, ladybugs accidentally processed with wine can ruin it.

    To avoid these awful ladybug traits, try EcoSMART Flying Insect Killer.

    Getting Rid of Asian Lady Beetles

    So, what can you do to get rid of Asian Lady Beetles?

    The first step is prevention. Stop invasion before it begins! Begin prevention before they invade in the summertime or early autumn.

    It’s Too Late! They’ve Invaded!

    If you’re too late to prevent the home invasion, fear not! There are other ways to rid your home of the orange, spotted fiends.

    The vacuum cleaner: Surprisingly, the vacuum cleaner is one of the most recommended methods for getting rid of ladybugs in your home. The process is simple. Find ladybugs, turn on your vacuum hose, and suck them up into a vortex of doom.

    Sticky Traps: These are often effective against ladybugs, but an ineffective method to catch them all. Plus, they’re unsightly and all too easy to get stuck to.

    Bug Sprays: Because Asian Lady Beetles often flock in such massive quantities, it’s not safe to spray synthetic chemical bug sprays in your home. So is there a safe way to use bug sprays to kill Asian Lady Beetles?

    Kill Asian Lady Beetles with EcoSMART

    EcoSMART’s organic insecticides are the safe and natural way to get rid of your Asian Lady Beetle problems.

    • EcoSMART does not have any warning labels because all the ingredients are made of organic ingredients like peppermint and spearmint oil.

    • EcoSMART is labeled as ‘GRAS’ or generally recognized as safe by the FDA.

    • Biodegradable, safe, and leaving a fresh minty aroma, EcoSMART is the smart choice to get rid of all your Asian Lady Beetles.

    • You can spray to your heart’s content and not have to worry about chemical fumes or side effects.

    What EcoSMART spray should I use?

    Your best bet to take on Asian lady beetles is EcoSMART’s Flying Insect Killer. This spray will take down Asian lady beetles on contact. EcoSMART’s Ant and Roach killer can also be used to take out the spotted invaders.


    Caitlin Leopold

  1. 44 Comments | The First 1,000 to Comment (Starting 12/21/2009) Will Become EcoSMART Product Testers!

  2. By Brenda Hess on Dec 16, 2008

    I always LOVED ladybugs…until I had an infestation. I never thought that ladybugs could be “pests”. Until this most recent Autumn. One day, there were a couple of ladybugs…No problem, they kept the toddler entertained for hours. The next day, a few more, next day, still more, and this went on and on, until one day, I noticed that they were taking over my place! Also, I started noticing this “aroma”. I also never knew that they give off a scent. We all kind of laughed about it off, but didn’t want to spray anything because of our cats and small children. I am VERY glad to see there is a safe product out there that we can use! I plan on being armed for the next onslaught!

  3. By Liz Simmons on Dec 16, 2008

    I’ve been fighting these nasty, smelly things for a couple of years now. They are not the Lady Bugs of my childhood! Every spring and fall the dirt devil goes to work, but I can spend hours just going around and around the house vacumming them up. I’m very glad to know that there is something safe that will finally take care of them once and for all.

  4. By Brandi Reynolds on Dec 17, 2008

    These critters sure can infest a place quickly. One winter, a few years back, hundreds decided to move into the upstairs. Nothing would get rid op them! Dad found an insect repellant that ‘knocked them out’ for a couple minutes. We sprayed them than ran the vaccuum real quick before they recouped. Never did seem to get them all, though… Wish we had EcoSMART then.

  5. By Michelle on Dec 17, 2008

    Being in the midwest we have what we call Soybean beetles, they look just like a red lady bug except these are brown. These are so bad that I dont know how to get rid of them. These bugs bite and they have a strong foul smell when they are killed and they leave a stain on your walls ect. if they are killed there. Is there a product to get rid of these thousands of brown bugs?

  6. By Elizabeth M. on Dec 17, 2008

    I had no idea that they could come inside in such massive numbers. We had a huge problem a couple of years ago.

  7. By Bridget on Dec 17, 2008

    I just heard lady bugs can infest a computer. Never ever knew that but it makes sense, warm spot. We have them flying inside and have not found their entry point.

  8. By Lois H. on Dec 17, 2008

    I havent had a problem with Ladybugs, but I have always thought they were so cute and innocent. Helping with the garden and my daughter loves them!! Now I know that they may look sweet and innocent but there not. If I ever have a problem I know what to do.

  9. By Robin on Dec 17, 2008

    I like ladybugs but this does get a little overwhelming having to vacuum them up.

  10. By Rose Wheat on Dec 17, 2008

    Ladybugs pose a problem for me because they are so tiny and they get into your windows and the sills.They also collect near the wall where the carpet meets, and even my vacuum cleaner doesn’t suck them up.They also like to crawl up to the top of the walls near the ceiling.Smart bugs, they know I am not that tall!I would love to try your product on my lovely little pests.

  11. By Shannon Schubert on Dec 18, 2008

    I get a lady bug infestation every year, and then I get the allergies to go with it! I am really excited to see this eco friendly lady bug ridder work!

  12. By Renee Duman on Dec 18, 2008

    We live on a farm in south dakota, and while we try to live as organic as possible it is tempting to use something on the wide variety of bugs we battle every day! The asian beetles are the worst, but we also have attic flies, spiders and ANTS! I am sooo excited to learn there are some natural options for people like us!

  13. By Tamara Lieven on Dec 21, 2008

    Oh my gosh! I forgot about the ladybug invasion until I started reading. For awhile I tried taking them to the door and letting them out, but there were so many of them it became impossible! I hated having to vacuum them up, but there was nothing else I could do since I didn’t want them crawling all over my house. I can’t really spray anything because I have cats, but now I see there is another, better, safer option with organic insecticides. WhooHoo!!

  14. By Joi on Dec 27, 2008

    I never knew that problem existed with lady bugs, but I am glad I know now, because I had a small problem wi them but not any more. I have a bad problem outside my home in my garden and sometimes in the house, during the summer months. I get waterbugs, anybody know what to do about that?

  15. By N Gupta on Dec 27, 2008

    We’ve had ladybugs in our house the past couple of years and were told that they normally are looking for warm places in winter. Luckily for us its been just a few and I didn’t know there were products I could use to get rid of them and we basically dealt with them. I will definitely try the products mentioned now.

  16. By ginger on Jan 3, 2009

    I called my mother ladybug and when she passed I started seeing ladybugs when I was feeling down, having a bad day, or such. I save them in a memory angel box. I know it’s silly, but for me it helps. So I welcome ladybugs, they make me think of mom

  17. By Sherrie on Jan 6, 2009

    Yes, I will definitely try the products mentioned. They are so annoying.

  18. By Terry Gleason on Jan 15, 2009

    I am still unsure what to do about ladybugs. I feel guilty about killing them because of all the “hype” surrounding their exsistance. However, we are facing an infestation of the little darlings and I think we will have to do something drastic in the near future. My worry is for the safety of my cats and dogs. I hate the thought of spraying pesticides. Maybe we will just stick it out and hope when a big “freeze” hits our area, they will go away on their own. Thanks for listening.

  19. By Jean on Jan 17, 2009

    I was thinking of buying lady bugs for pest control in our yard. Now I am concerned that may be a bad idea.

  20. By toni on Jan 21, 2009

    Thanks, till now never new the differance.
    We dont seem to have a problem with them.

  21. By EcoSMART kara on Jan 26, 2009

    Jean, with adding any new creature to a new environment comes benefits and costs; it is up to you to decide whether the benefits outweigh those costs.

    Personally, I don’t like introducing more creatures, because I figure if they were naturally meant to be there to get rid of a pest, the pest would’ve attracted them there already.

  22. By EcoSMART Kara on Jan 26, 2009

    Toni, thanks for commenting. I hope an infestation never comes!

  23. By Martin on Jan 28, 2009

    We just moved into our mountain home. It is my understanding that lady bugs attract wasps. Is this true? It is January in the VA mountains with tempatures ranging from 0 to 40 average and we have serveral lady bugs in the house. Today we found a live wasp.

  24. By EcoSMART Kara on Jan 29, 2009

    Predatory wasps do prey on other smaller bugs, but to my knowledge, ladybugs aren’t one of them. Some sources say parasitic wasps eat ladybugs. Likely, you’re seeing them together since they may be going after the same food source; they tend to have similar tastes.

  25. By Affinious on Feb 4, 2009

    Although I’ve heard of ladybug infestations, they are generally considered a beneficial insect. They feed on garden pests such as aphids. Since ladybugs are strictly carnivores, their presence indicates there is a pest population upon which they are feeding. In my experience, this is a good thing. I’ve never had an over-abundance of ladybugs, but if I did, I’d target their food source to reduce their numbers. As it stands, I buy ladybugs, together with praying mantises and nematodes, to manage pests that invade my organic garden.

  26. By EcoSMART Kara on Feb 5, 2009

    Affinious,

    Thanks for sharing. You’re right about ladybugs being great in gardens. Glad that they haven’t invaded your home!

  27. By Deb on Feb 26, 2009

    My husband and I have just listed our house for sale, and now we’re infested with ladybugs! I understand that it could be worse (roaches, ants, scorpions, etc), but BUGS is BUGS, and most prospective buyers might raise an eyebrow! We’ve been spraying pesticides and vacuuming as fast as we can. But we live in fear of the call to show the house when we aren’t at home and can’t “get rid of the evidence.” HELP!!

  28. By Diane W on Jul 10, 2009

    The Asian ones seem to really be attracted to light colors. Our house wrap was pink and before we put the siding on we were massively invaded. Thousands. We live in the woods so they are everywhere. We did do the vacuuming thing but a lot got into the attic space and over wintered in the insulation. We have siding on the house now, but they are here every October so bad you cannot go outside on warm days. And they do bite. And I am a wuss cause I think it HURTS. And they stink, and they taste REALLY bad, just ask my husband. He has eaten a few of them by mistake.
    I would love to try a spray to repel or get rid of them.

  29. By Robert on Oct 23, 2009

    I must thank you, ECOsmart, for maintaining a site containing so much information on annoying critters that tend to visit my home (without an invitation) annually. I particularly enjoyed the piece on earwigs – I did not know that earwigs were harmless; I had always expected that I would be pinched by an earwig if I touched it but your article mentioned nothing that they would pinch or bite a human if in contact with one. I do wish, however, that this blog on ladybugs contained additional information on characteristics of native, North American lady beetles. According to some people, one can tell the difference between an Asian and a North American ladybug by counting the number of spots on its back; the backs of North American lady beetles contain the same identical number, allegedly (though I do not know what that number is). Any claraification you could make on this subject within your ladybug article would be most appreciated.

  30. By Ryan on Oct 23, 2009

    Just had my house invaded by Asian Lady Beetles. I’ve been killing a half dozen a day, but don’t want to spray chemical pesticides in the home. Might have to get some ecosmart before winter sets in.

  31. By Katherine Shiba on Oct 23, 2009

    I have encountered Asian Lady Beetles multiple times. In college, they would swarm the dorms and we would try to circumvent the problem of their smell and bites by sucking them up in a vacuum cleaner or by spraying lots of toxic buy spray. Now that I’m a dog owner, I’m glad that there are products like yours that I can use to get rid of the lady beetles and also make sure my dog is safe and sound.

  32. By melinda oquinn on Oct 24, 2009

    I would love to get rid of these ladybugs out of my house, they have come in this week in the 1000’s. My son’s ceiling was black with them, he has to sleep in the living room floor when they do this. we have plastic on the windows, and caulking on the other ones, I need something that works…

  33. By C.Weiser on Oct 24, 2009

    I live in Western NC and the ladybugs here are the worst thing ever! They are everywhere! They can fill a room in minutes if you don’t arm yourself with a vaccuum. Spring and fall they attack. Going to look for EcoSmart spray in the store now!!!

  34. By Tammey on Oct 24, 2009

    My cute white house is covered in cute red ladybugs – thousands of them. They’re not as cute as they used to be, however. So this product is extremely interesting and would love to be smart about my Eco-house. Thank you.

  35. By Darlene on Oct 25, 2009

    I am glad to se that there is a product that is out there that is safe to use around children and pets i will be using the product in the future i am an EcoSmart person now i can be an Eco SMART user as well Thank you for comming up with a safe product.

  36. By Amanda on Oct 25, 2009

    One winter we had piles of lady bugs everywhere, especially in cabinets. I’m not sure though if they were the regualr old lady bugs or the pinchy ones we’ve had for awhile now. They must try to nest in the winter like flies, one year I found a clump of flies the same way.

  37. By Linda McCoy on Oct 25, 2009

    We started seeing ladybugs in vast numbers several years ago around here. Though the numbers have decreased in the last couple years, they have started surfacing in the last week or two, again this year. They stay mainly outdoors but some find their way indoors each year. I vacuum them when needed. They can be annoying at times and I never knew they can bite until my one daughter was bit a few years ago. Interesting articles! I plan to at this site to my favorites to return and read more. Thanks.

  38. By Milena on Oct 25, 2009

    I have never had a problem until recently. It’s disgusting. They are completely covering one side of my house and are flying all around us when we are outside.I’m hoping the cool weather will do them in!

  39. By Sara on Oct 25, 2009

    One would never guess these guys are capable of such damage just by looking at them,watching kids chase them ect. They always seemed so safe and cute. So how does all this pertain to the other colors of Lady Bugs i have seen like the yellow ones?
    I remember my daughter asking me when she was little is there were boy lady buys and were they called Men Bugs and if not she didn’t understand how new baby Lady bugs were made.

  40. By Kathy Reed on Oct 25, 2009

    I have the Asian Ladybugs and have been looking all over for something safe to use in my home. I have been vacuuming them up for years. I am glad to have found a product that isn’t full of harmful chemicals.

  41. By Andrea Deloria on Oct 25, 2009

    My house is invaded by lady bugs! We vaccum them up and then 5 minutes later they are back again. I would love to try this product as a safe way to get rid of these things. They are so gross every place in the house there they are dead and alive ones. And now our vaccum smells like their blood every time we turn it on. I’m so glad there is a remedy to these bugs!

  42. By Mindy Goss on Oct 25, 2009

    We’ve lived in our home for almost two years. I’ve never seen the amounts of ladybugs in a home like ours. It is grose and dirty! Our addition off the kitchen has a door and thank goodness because they seem to love that room! They get that bad that we won’t go out there even if we need something! They are horrible when the sun is hitting the back of the house. By evening we have nasty dead ones everywhere.

  43. By Terry on Mar 25, 2010

    I just purchased my first home and am looking to set up an organic garden. I am so happy to see that there is a company that has figured out how to safely protect people and their gardens from pests. Thanks EcoSmart for the information on creating a garden where ladybugs will stay and for the warning about Asian ladybugs. Looking forward to using your products!

  44. By Alleen on Mar 29, 2010

    I was up ALL night last night trying to get rid of these pests…all over my walls, floor, ceiling, and in my bed! Anything to repel these would be so appreciated! Thanks!

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