Asian lady beetles are a species of ladybug that overwinter, meaning they hide inside homes and buildings during the winter to wait out cold weather. Overwintering pests are not commonly seen during the winter, as they will stay put in their hiding spots. But come springtime when temperatures begin to rise, Asian lady beetles and other overwintering pests will emerge from their hiding spots in search of food.
The best way to avoid Asian lady beetles is to prevent them from entering your home. Read our guide on how to prevent Asian lady beetles for information on how to keep Asian lady beetles out of a building.
If you do have Asian lady beetles in the home, there are ways to contain the infestation. Keep in mind, treatment may be limited once you know you have Asian lady beetles as by that point, they are already in your home (usually in inaccessible areas). Ideally, it is best to treat your home before winter to prevent these pests from entering your home.
Read our guide below for steps on how to treat your home for Asian lady beetles.
Use the Overwintering Pest Kit to Treat
Use a liquid insecticide and an insecticide dust around the home to treat for Asian lady beetles.
DoMyOwn has created an Overwintering Pest Kit to make the process easier. Each kit contains products labeled for Asian lady beetles. Read below to learn how to use each part of the kit.
Products needed for Step 1
Treat Your Home with a Liquid Insecticide
Choose an insecticide labeled for Asian lady beetles, such as Talstar P or Suspend SC. Follow the instructions on the label to mix the insecticide with water in a hand pump sprayer, then spot treat around the inside of your home. Do not spray an entire room, wall, or floor with your insecticide. Instead, focus on these areas inside the home in rooms where Asian lady beetles have been spotted:
- Spray around door and window frames
- Spray where utility pipes enter the home
- Spray beneath appliances and beneath sinks
- In the corners of rooms and where baseboards meet the wall
Keep pets and children away from areas being sprayed until the insecticide spray has dried (1-2 hours).
Products needed for Step 2
Use Insecticide Dust for Hard to Reach Areas
In addition to liquid insecticide, we recommend using an insecticide dust, such as EcoVia WD, around your home to combat Asian lady beetles. Insecticide dusts are great for hard to reach areas, but are a slow kill, which is why they should be used with other faster working products.
To use insecticide dust, select the dust of your choice. Fill a bellow hand duster half-way and dust in the following areas:
- Around door and window frames
- Where cables and pipes enter your home
- Around eaves and soffits
- In wall voids behind outlets
- In the corners of attics and closets
- In cracks and crevices around the home
- Underneath appliances
- Where pipes enter the wall
- Below sinks
Do not apply more than 1 or 2 puffs of dust per application area. Too much dust in one spot will not be effective against overwintering pests.
Products needed for Step 3
Vacuum Asian Lady Beetles
If you see live Asian lady beetles in your home, use a vacuum to suck up the pests. A vacuum is a much more effective method than using a broom as Asian lady beetles will release a smelly, staining liquid if crushed.
Be sure to empty the vacuum into a trash bag, seal the trash bag, then place the trash bag into an outside garbage can immediately after vacuuming up the pests.
Products needed for Step 4
You should see a decrease in Asian lady beetle activity in the days and weeks after treatment. If activity continues, retreat after 30 days.
If you have had Asian lady beetles in your home before and want to avoid them, there are other measures you can take to prevent an infestation. Read our guide on how to prevent Asian lady beetles. Click the right arrow below to learn more.