We have once again been invaded with these ugly little bugs and I know someone has a cure for these. We have tried bay leaves and it has slowed them down but I need the DDT receipe for getting rid of these pesky bugs. Any help?

 

Don't get rid of the lady bugs. Like spiders, they get rid of LOTs of pesky critters because lady bugs don't eat plants, just other bugs.

If you're getting lots of lady bugs it means you have lots of nasty plant eaters such as aphids. Get rid of a few thousand lady bugs and you'll get stuck will millions of aphids.

 

Ken is right, gather up the lady bugs and let them out. They seldon invade homes in any great numbers.

Stink bugs? Stink bugs seldom occur in enough numbers to bother anything, they do not often invade homes.

Beetles? That's pretty general, what'cha got? Actually the lady bug is a beetle, the stink bug is a true bug (true in the sense that it is a Hemiptera, a true bug).

If they are in great numbers, and they are orange and black, judging from the time of year, I'd guess you may be dealing with Box Elder bugs (especially if you have box elders near by). (By the way, the box elder bug is also a true bug).

You need to find out what you have, that will allow you to eliminate the conditions that gave rise to the problem.

(More than you ever wanted to know about entomology)

 

A guy I work with thought he had a ladybug infestation - a constant one. Every time he wanted to take a shower he had to clean out the tub, and they'd get into drinks during dinner. Entire wall corners could get covered by these things.

Turns out they looked like ladybugs but they were some other type of beetle - and a poisonous one at that. He didn't realize this until someone told him, and he claims his whole family never felt healthier (they were sick a lot) than after moving away to another newer house.

If you have a manifestation of huge amounts like some do here in central Pennsylvania, I'd highly recommend doing everything you can to rid yourself of the situation. A few ladybugs are ok, but out here the old, old houses can get tens of thousands in them, and they're not all 'good' for people. Sure, they probably all do the 'good' thing of eating smaller bugs & aphids, but if your, or your family's, health suffers for it, it isn't worth it.

Thankfully, last year the state bought the house this guy was living in to tear it down for a new highway. Hopefully your version of 'invaded' doesn't mean what it does around here.

 

I call them Lady Bugs. Some have called them the other two names I have listed. They just are so d### annoying. They are orange with either black spots or plain orange wings. We do have those ugly looking box elder bugs also, but not in the house. I am gradually replacing the weed that is a tree (box elder) with hard and soft wood trees but the old saying "time and money" plays out here. I can't seem to find where it is they squeeze thru to get inside. Apparently the come inside in the fall and are now trying to find that crack to get out.

 

If you have the same bugs we have here (southern Michigan) they aren't really ladybugs, I think they are technically called Japanese Beetles. They aren't native to the area, and because of this they've been gradually taking over from a lot of the other insects and such. I know some people who have a LOT of these buggers - they'll cling to the outsides of buildings and trees in such large numbers that they'll form one solid clump so thick you can't see the surface underneath.

I ignore them when they're outdoors, but when they get inside the house in big numbers I generally go around with the shop-vac and suck them up - though they do stink when you squish 'em. When I moved into my place I set some bug bombs off (Raid, I think, comes in 3-packs in a little orange can) and that also seemed to take care of the problem - at least for a year or so I didn't see any of them, but they're starting to come back in now. And these bugs do get inside in big numbers, especially in the colder months - I've seen houses with thousands of these guys crawling around inside.

As long as they're outside I leave them alone, but once they get inside my house they're toast - they don't get to live in there unless they start sharing the mortgage payment!

LK