It’s that time of year when ladybugs are trying to find places to spend their winter, and many have found that place in the homes of Southeast Missouri’s residents.
According to Bridget Jackson, Education Consultant at the Missouri Department of Conservation, ladybugs like warm places and are attracted to light-colored homes and older homes that may have cracks or lack insulation.
“Ladybugs will emit a pheromone when they get ready to hibernate, and it’s a signal to their kind that they found a good place,” Jackson said.
The odor can last up to years at a time, which causes some homes to have ladybug issues every year.
“The ladybugs that we’re finding in our homes, they’re actually not a native species,” Jackson said. “These are Asian ladybugs that over the last few decades have kind of invaded North America.”
The native ladybugs are bright red and black, while the Asian ladybugs are orange and black. They will not eat anything in the home, but they can cause indoor allergies. If smashed, they will leave an orange stain so the best way to remove ladybugs that are already in a home is to vacuum them and immediately release them outside.
Jackson said if homeowners are facing this problem and would like to eliminate it, they may want to seal any cracks, seal any places where air may be getting into the home or re-insulate the home.