Ladybird Infestation - HELP!

[dawny0311]

I have an infestation of Ladybirds. They are nesting in the window frames and any cavity they can find. I back on to woodland and had this problem last year. This year it's worse. They are crawling the bedrooms day and night and it's driving me nuts.
I have cleaned the window frames and even sprayed them with a fly spray to try and deter them but they are return in their hundreds.
Has anyone had this problem before or can anyone advise of a deterrant?
Desperate now!

[Kleiber]

You probably don't think so, but you're so lucky!! Ladybirds are becoming scarce, so to have so many is wonderful!! All they're doing now is looking for somewhere to hibernate. You can set them up some little boxes, somewhere dry & sheltered, where they can go. They're lovely little creatures - they eat greenfly and so help protect our plants. Please don't hurt them. You probably think I'm mad, but I like spiders, too!!
BTW, they won't do you or your house any harm - let them sleep till spring & then they'll leave. K xx

[weeal]

hi kleiber

Did you know that ladybirds have poison in their knees, and if they feel threatened they bend their knees and secrete the poison? V. true (look it up)

theyre evil wee things lol

[Kleiber]

Thanks, weeal, but I still think they're lovely wee beasties! The only things I hate are blow-flies and rats and I defy anyone to justify their existence. (Yes, I know flies eat carrion, but lots of other things do, too.)

[dawny0311]

Kleiber

Once upon a time I would have agreed with you that these are cute little creatures but not now -they are a nuisance.
If I open my windows they come in and I don't mean one or two at a time, there are hundreds.
They are flying around the entrance to my french doors and make a dash for the lounge when I open them. They are crawling the walls, the curtains and drop on you when you are eating - not pleasant. It's the same in the bedrooms. I like fresh air in the house and opening the windows is a must for me but this situation is out of hand. I don't want ladybirds crawling around inside the house.
Yesterday was the limit! When I opened the french doors I had more than a dozen fly in at me in one fell swoop and one must have landed on my back or something. Shortly after I needed the loo. When I came out of the loo I felt a 'nip' on my bum cheek. I scratched (as you would) and subsequently found I had a ladybird in my jogging bottoms. Nice! I don't mind them in the garden but, not in my jogging bottoms or in my food.
There must be something that I can do to deter them away from the house - or indeed prevent them hibernating in the window frames and wall cavities. Tell me more about these boxes - how big? Even better, what they DON'T LIKE, so that I can deter them 'away' from the house.
I don't want to harm the wee creatures but I I don't want them in the house either!

Weeal - Poisonous Knees? I didn't come across that on the website when I was trying to find out their dislikes. What are the symptoms of being poisoned by a ladybird? Will my bum get any bigger? Oh cripes! Is there an antidote?

Seriously, thanks for your responses.

Any better ideas anyone?

[GypsyGSD]

I read a in a sunday newspaper that there is a new strain of lady birds taking over the uk, they are different to ours as they have black dots on them and slighty larger, there is concerns that native ladybirds can not compete with them,it seem that when they run out of aphids to eat they in fact start to eat our own lady birds , they are also more resitant to pesticides and are causing havoc abroad GypsyX

[Kleiber]

Oh, God - if they're foreigners, get rid, but if they're natives, can you pop some in a box & send them to me, please?? As far as the little hibernating boxes go, if you look on the RSPB website, I think you'll get all the details there. Good luck!! Kx

[dave12345]

I would also be very keen to find out how to kill these disgusting creatures. My flat is crawling with them. Is there a poison available that will bring about a long painful death? Something that could be sprayed on the window frames would be useful. If these things have no natural predators it should be OK to get the organophophates out. Is there a sarin derivative commercially available?

[manoir23]

I was advised by my garden centre to use ant powder and it seems to have worked. If you sprinkle it in the cavities and round the window frames where they gather it will literally stop those pesky ladybirds in thier tracks. Eventually they do die - but it's not exactely quick - and then they're just hoover fodder!

[dawny0311]

Many thanks for the informtion manoir23. Although it does seem a shame to kill the little things I think I will have to give it a try becauseI can't go through another year like last year.

The ladybucks are now returning following the winter so I will invest in the ant powder and give it a whirl!

Thanks again for your help!

[annaengland]

We've had the same problem with hundreds of ladybirds crawling all over the windows. I'm going to spray the frames with Listerine (the mouth wash)...I put it in a fly spray bottle in the summer and it kept the flies out so hopefully it will do the same with the army of ladybirds.

[Cross-keys]

We have the same problem every spring when the ladybirds start to appear from their hibernation. There can be literally hundreds crawling over windows (that face the sun) & the carpet below. They drop from ceilings and onto tables, desks etc. How can you entice them from hibernating elsewhere? The same problem applies to wood lice...ho of course some into the house and then dry up and die!

[Drew]

Yep we have a small problem with them as well, these type of lady birds are Harlequin Ladybirds and are not native, it is very rare to find native Ladybirds in the house. Once you get a few they tend to get more each year, the Ant Powder seems a good option before our house gets infested!

[sandymym]

deathlac spray works best as it works for months. The ladybirds leave an attractant that stays on the walls for years so this will need to be repeated over several years. Each year the numbers will vastly reduce. We were infested 3 years ago and used this method and the following year we had only a few ladybirds who died fairly quickly and last year we had very few.

[jil3563]

I have got 2 large nests in exaclty the same place I had them last year, one is the size of a grapefruit and as its in the bedromm it has to go. I have checked out the variety on the net and they are harelquin ladybirds which are not our natrive variety so dont feel as bad getting rid, however I am looking for a complete solution as last year we would ge attacked whilst watching TV - especially when the heating went on for the first time in the autumn.

[jil3563]

I have an infestion of harelquin ladybirds (not native) one nest in the bedroom is the size of a grapefruit. We had then past year and they wold dive bomb us while watching Tv so they are going to go - will try Deathlac - thanks for the tip

[xChriisssss]

modern warfare 3 woop woop

[char44]

omg we have the same problem its so frustrating just want them gone!