Ladybirds

[rose2008-2008]

Im at my wits end. in my flat all on my windows ,nets and skirting are all these tiny Ladybird babies.We have lots of trees outside and they maybe come from these. i have tried putting them out the windows but their just accumulating, there seems more than ever today. My cat is just sitting by watching them as some are crawling along the floor!. I dont mean HUNDREDS but there is a fair few of them. can anyone suggest something natural that will discourage them as i dont want to start spraying bug spray as i have my cat!!. I have seen a few adult ones but not many, i think they have foisted their brood on me!!. Any suggestions ladies. HELP?

[saasher2012]

Is it possible they over wintered in you're window jams etc & now because it's warming up they are trying to get out?

[fishpieface]

They're quite harmless, if I find any indoors I just get them on my finger (they'll usually crawl on)

or a piece of paper and put them outside on a leaf or something.  Every few years there seem to

be hundreds of them everywhere but rather them than spiders!

I wouldn't kill them though, I don't see how we have a right to take the life of a creature unless

our life is endangered by it and it isn't by ladybirds!

[fishpieface]

Nor are they a sign that your house is dirty, if they want to come in they will.

[saasher2012]

I get loads of Butterflies , hibernating in the house I also leave them alone they have a hard enough time without me killing them. I'd rather have the inconvenience of not being able to dust in the ceiling corners than not see their beauty in the good weather. That's my excuse & I'm sticking to it!.lol.

[bankhaunter]

I have heard of these swarms in the past. Not witnessed one myself.

I have and believe me what the OP is describing is nothing to what can happen.

There was one in my town a few years ago, millions of them were everywhere.

This was in a different town but it shows what it can be like.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1204864/Plague-ladybirds-puts-families-flight-Holidaymakers-...

[*elphaba*]

Rose,  the only grey ladybird species I know of comes from America - the small ashy - have you had anything from the US they could have come in on?

Ladybird babies are larval and look like this:  http://www.wildaboutbritain.co.uk/gallery/files/2/0/9/8/Larva.jpg  

The other possibility I'm afraid is carpet beetles, which look like this:   http://www.whatsthatbug.com/images/carpet_beetles_dennis.jpg

[cookiecookuk]

i remember in the early seventies the was a massive infestation of ladybugs and everything that should be green was red if you sat on  the grass within minutes you were absolutly covered in them

[carolyorkie2010]

Sorry but I'm with Fishie on that one, I certainly wouldn't kill them, they have a right to live.

[bankhaunter]

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@cookiecookuk wrote:

i remember in the early seventies the was a massive infestation of ladybugs and everything that should be green was red if you sat on  the grass within minutes you were absolutly covered in them

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Yes it was just like that.

The pavements around the icecream stalls were red from all the ones that had been trodden on where presumably they were feeding on split icecream.

[rose2008-2008]

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@ilove2patch wrote:

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@rose2008-2008 wrote:

Firstly their not an infestation and i have got a very clean flat!!.

The babies are tiny and grey with faint spots, and the aduls outside are just like the normal looking ladybird with medium black spots. they dont look like any strange variety. i tried putting a sort of fabric spray on a cloth and then a little Orange essential oil and it seems to have made them go a little. they only seem to appear when the sun is round on this side. Hopefully they have been deterred. Thank you ladies for the ideas!!.

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Oh Rose I didn't mean that at all. I just thought if you didn't kill them they could multiply & become an infestation! I wasn't saying your flat was dirty! Sorry if that's how it sounded. 

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Its alright,,,ha ha. Its just their not mites,,definately not LOL. I seem to have them under control now with a bit of strong smelling oil. No worries hun.

[rose2008-2008]

LOL,LOL, i seem to have started something. The adults are on my balcony outside. they are normal ladybirds. yes saasher they could be trying to get out actually. My friend on the other side of the flats has told me she gets them aswell. It must be the trees as they are only in this living room NOWHERE ELSE!!. Thank goodness!!. They dont like the oil at all. Thank you everyone.