Seeking the Source of Lady Bug Infestations

This time of year, aside from the usual fall pest suspects, lady bugs (also known as lady beetles) make an appearance. Here’s the bad news: if you’re seeing lady bugs start to appear at your business, they have probably already made their way inside, and they can congregate into the hundreds of thousands at large commercial properties.

Lady bugs typically enter via the top of a building, seeking winter shelter.

“Like many other pests, lady bugs seek shelter before winter,” explains Marc Buck, Western’s Randolph, NJ Pest Control Branch Manager. “Because of climate control, they can become active prematurely, and some property owners get inundated throughout the fall.”

Over the course of the winter season, temperatures are cool. However, on occasional warm days, the lady bugs will emerge – sometimes in large numbers. Buck notes that this can be an issue in large professional offices. Left untreated, the pests can occasionally cause issues with computer equipment, or create challenges in pharmaceutical labs.

A common myth is that lady bugs enter through windows. In fact, they tend to enter at the highest points of a structure. “They look for a cavity or a void and then cluster together for the winter,” Buck says.

As part of its commitment to IPM – Integrated Pest Management – Western focuses on the structural issues in commercial buildings that can provide easy entry for pests such as lady bugs. By addressing the causes, not just the lady bugs, Western helps commercial clients find pest control solutions that work.

Posted on October 15, 2012