Got home and hundreds of lady birds are swarming my house!

[whoopsiedaisydangle]

Moved to our new home in may, we overlook fields and a river that is all part of a nature reserve.

I've been at my parents all day with my daughter, husband at work. It's 4 just got home and I've never seen anything like it! There must be 300 or more lady birds all over the windows, front door, everywhere!

I opened the door and at least 12 dropped into my hall.
I don't mind ladybirds they are easy enough to put in a glass and back outside but this is crazy!

I feel all itchy! I've caught a few and put them back outside (via the backdoor) They just seem to be swarming out the front.

Where have they come from?! I've been gone 5 hours. Is Autumn a time they come out? I can see them flying everywhere and gathering on the ledges. I don't want to open the front door or windows do they like houses? Do they nest?

[Jamhandprints]

Wow, I have no idea but this is really interesting. I hope a ladybird expert comes along soon!

[SouthWestmom]

Picture? While I google for you?

[SouthWestmom]

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/swarms-diseased-ladybirds-invade-homes-9142436.amp

don't read this

[eyeoresancerre]

I've had lots in my house today as well. Windows open to get some fresh air and they are on the windows both inside and out. Thought it was a bit odd.

[Pagwatch]

That happened to me about 8 years ago and the bad news is they come back every year.
It drives me mad. They get inside the windows and cluster.
You need to properly scrub all around the windows, inside and out.
The numbers have at least dismissed. I had to hoover them up the first year. They were in my bed, bedside drinks etc blueugghhhhh

[MirandaWest]

We found a lot inside our bedroom earlier on today

[TrashPanda]

We have this at one of our holiday cottages. They come back every year around the same time, at least 6 years I've dealt with it. Something to do with breeding I believe. Pest control have come and said they can't do much.

[Tiddlywinks63]

I had this in our last house (very old and draughty) but not here where we have double glazing.
I did have a butterfly in the bedroom for 3 weeks, just sitting on the wall. It 'woke up' yesterday and I let it out. Most strange.

[whoopsiedaisydangle]

I Don't want to go outside and take pictures I'm itching at the thought of them flying in my hair! the best I can describe it is patches or clusters of loads of them, everywhere! Especially on and above the door.

Black ones with red spots and red ones with black spots.

I've been googling but can't really find anything about where they could have come from! I didn't see any at all at 11 this morning when I left.

I usually don't mind them I think they are pretty little things but just seeing them all swarm and fly in and out of the swarms is making my skin crawl a bit.

Are they classed as a pest?

[whoopsiedaisydangle]

@Noeuf oh good god! I have ladybirds with STI'S???!!!

[Pagwatch]

Personally, I don't need pictures. It was exactly like that for us. A swarm of 100s of them arrived on the wall at the back of the house during about a two hour period one afternoon.

The best information I got was from a council website regarding housing.

It's not unique, it's just unlucky and it feels weird but all you can do is keep the windows and doors shut while they are swarming and them clean the windows and frames as thoroughly as you can once they start to go.

[SouthWestmom]

"We encourage people to record their sightings and we don't recommend you kill them as they can be confused with native species," said Helen. "Brush them gently into a box and put them outside if they are in the way but otherwise leave them where they are.
"This time of year all ladybirds go into a dormant state and Harlequin ladybirds choose to go into buildings as their winter habitat. They particularly like pale buildings. Native species, such as the Seven-spot ladybird, tend to bed down in leaf litter, some species over winter in the stems of plants or behind bark."


From an October 2016 article

[whoopsiedaisydangle]

@Pagwatch thank you, do they stay for a long time?

[ReviewTime]

Are they red or orange? The orange ones are mean imposters who eat the (nicer) red ones.

We had millions of the orange ones, usually in spring that lived in our wooden window frame. Got plastic double glazing and they were fewer but they were still there (looking confused!)

From reading stuff I think they breed in wooden windows / doors / attic gaps etc. Not much useful advice on how to get rid of them... I used to hoover a lot up. From the air.

[SouthWestmom]

No don't worry, further google says you are safe.

😂I knew you'd read it

[whoopsiedaisydangle]

@Noeuf I gave it a good read! Making my skin crawl even more! Haha

@ReviewTime didn't see any orange ones just black with red spots and red with black spots.
Part of the porch is wood! As is the front part of the door! Maybe that's what's attracting them.

I hope they fly away home soon!

[WorldWideWanderer]

They are harmless....and they're coming in to hibernate.
They prefer to be outdoors in the spring and summer but they hibernate over winter, usually they find nooks and cranny outdoors. But on Autumn days when the sun comes out they warm up a bit and move towards the nearest hibernation retreat....your home is much warmer, obviously, and they like to settle down in great numbers. Their favourite places are in the cracks down doors and windows etc.

You have so many because you are facing fields, of course. The quickest way to remove them is to vacuum them up but if you don't want to hurt them, brush them up and tip them over the hedge....although they might come back! They will also smell...if disturbed they let off a yellow liquid which doesn't smell or taste very good....it's to ward off birds who might be tempted to eat them, and it has a particular smell which you will come to recognise.

Once winter comes the hoards will have settled down and you won't be disturbed for a bit. But next spring they will all come out of hibernation on sunny days and make for the outdoors so once again you will find them in great numbers.....

They really don't hurt and don't carry disease generally. They are good for the garden as their young eat greenfly and other pests. be kind to them.....

[SouthWestmom]

household-tips.thefuntimesguide.com/ladybug_infestation/amp/

Try these?

[fairyofallthings]

OP have a look at this - ladybirds were everywhere; you had to sweep them off benches before you could sit down.

[Pagwatch]

The pale buildings thing makes sense because the back of our house where they landed is a really massive and cream.

Whoopsie, the length of time they stay varies. It has been a month but I've barely noticed them over the last few years. Definitely a diminishing problem.

[whoopsiedaisydangle]

@WorldWideWanderer I'd never kill anything. Thank you though that information is great.

I really don't want them to hibernate in my house  there can't be that many places to hide away in swarms surely?

@fairyofallthings that's really interesting! Going to ask my mum and see if she remembers this!

@Noeuf that's perfect thank you!!! I'm going to try a few of these if they decide to hang around... looks like they really really like the porch 

[wowfudge]

I have a possibly dumb question: why did you clean everything @Pagwatch?

[Pagwatch]

Not dumb at all - I was pretty desperate by the time they were constantly in my bedding, bedside drinks etc and I found a section on some council website about treating the 'infestation' and it recommended thorough cleaning because they leave a scent/mark that can increase your chances of further infestations.
No idea if it was true or effective but I wanted to try anything by then.
It was years ago and my memory of the logic and where I found it remains fuzzy. It may even have been a link from someone on here because I remember posting pictures with a plea for advice.

[wowfudge]

Interesting and makes sense. We get random ladybirds coming in - all Harlequins - but not in huge numbers thank goodness.

[whoopsiedaisydangle]

Going to wait till my daughter goes down for her afternoon nap and I'll scrub all the window frames and windowsills along with the door frames and such like.

Ive just out yet another lady bird outside and noticed a horrible light musty smell. I don't know if it was coming from the ladybird I caught

I can't see as many today but it's a lot colder and no where near as sunny as yesterday.