Oh how I wish that only 12 ladybug showed up to the Ladybug Picnic!
Why me?
For the last few springs we have found that the closet window in Eden’s room seemed to attract ladybugs. Not just a few, but several. We never really did much about it as I believed they were harmless and there weren’t even enough to really be annoying. So, we would collect and dispose of them one by one. Although there never really were that many, clearly we should not have ignored the problem. There are definitely more this year and they seem to be migrating through the house a bit more. Eden and Shay are a bit freaked out, but I had totally down played it even after checking out her window and seeing that yes, there were a few more than other years and we should probably look into how best to handle it. Well, I am a busy lady and this morning Shay asked if I could please do something about the ladybugs in his room. I had looked last night and found 2 or 3, but when I went in there today I had to go in his closet for something and found that his window is way worse than Eden’s ever was. We have been bombarded by them. They are no longer cute! They are all over – Ugh!
Of course, I was a little disturbed and over reacted. Cover your eyes if you’re not up to this, but I ran to the basement and got the RAID. Yep! You guessed it, I sprayed those suckers like there’s no tomorrow. I didn’t even pause to think it over first. Just aimed and blasted. I figured I would let the poison dry and then wipe the windows and sills down throughly. Too bad I didn’t google it first as bug spray doesn’t seem to be high on the list of recommendations.
So, having already wiped out most of the population and spooked the rest, I am pretty sure they have given off their special “pheromones” that let all their lady bug friends know where they are hanging out. They say vacuuming them up is a better choice. I’ll vacuum up the mess I made once the RAID dries and then proceed to clean. Evidently the “yellow” stain they are famous for is actually blood that they secrete when they are in danger. My hasty decision may mean I need to sand and paint to get rid of the stains and still not be clear of future infestations. According to The Ladybug Lady:
They use pheromones as a means of communication during mating and hibernation. Insect pheromones are very powerful. They can be detected by others up to a 1/4 mile away. This helps ladybugs find each other and it lets future generations know of a good place to “camp out” for the winter. The pheromones don’t go away easily. The chemical “scent” can remain year after year, and not only on the outside of a structure, but also within the walls, where ladybugs tend to hide before emerging into your home. So, scrubbing pheromones off a house is a BIG task, if not impossible.
Oh, joy. I guess spring really has sprung at the Roys!