If the air around the outside of your house seems to be filled with spider webs or sunny walls are covered with multicolored lady beetles these days, you are not alone. Our Consumer Helpline gardening consultants have been receiving many calls about these nuisance pests.
Why am I seeing these now?
Most spiders lay their eggs in silken sacs, which look like tiny balls spun from spider webs. You can often find these in hidden places such as under the edge of plant containers or the overhang of a roof. When they leave the egg sac, some spiderlings send out a long silken thread that catches the wind and pulls the spider into the air. In the fall, these threads – and spiders – seem to be everywhere.
Multicolored Asian lady beetles, also called Halloween beetles, are not the same thing as our beneficial native lady beetles. Native lady beetles typically find shelter for the winter outdoors, while Asian beetles often overwinter in and around buildings. Asian lady beetles can be yellow, orange, or red, usually with black spots on their wing covers. In the fall, thousands of Asian lady beetles will congregate on homes and other buildings, trying to make their way indoors.
What can I do about them?
To keep spiders, Asian lady beetles, and other nuisance pests from invading your home, seal cracks and crevices where they could enter. Repair tears in window and door screens, and seal access holes around utility lines and plumbing. Treat the perimeter of the house with indoor insect killer, spraying a 12-inch band around the foundation. Also spray around window and door frames, along the eaves, and in cracks and crevices.
Many insecticides are ineffective against multicolored Asian lady beetles. Not residual pyrethroids – they are proven to be effective on the beetles when sprayed directly on them or when they crawl over treated surfaces. Home Defense Perimeter & Indoor Insect Killer is an odor-free, non-staining formula that also effectively prevents ants, centipedes, fleas, and other unwelcome bugs from getting into your home. You can also use it inside the house to eliminate bugs that have already made their way indoors.