How To Get Rid Of Ladybugs or Asian Lady Beetles

They aren't really Ladybugs but since that is what everyone calls them, that is how I titled this post. Ladybugs are helpful and useful insects that you don't want to kill. I am not sure if Asian Lady Beetles are helpful or useful, they probably are but they are also total pests when they come by the millions trying to gain entry into your home.

 

Yesterday on October 28th they swarmed our neighborhood in numbers greater than we had ever experienced before. They crawl into every nook and cranny of your home, get in your hair and hitch a ride on your clothes. It was a plague of Biblical proportions. Plus they stink when you smash or excite them and they bite. I got a few bites yesterday.

So here is my plan of action: I am going to buy and use this spray which has excellent reviews and is a best seller at Amazon.com

Suspend Sc Insecticide
Flea, Tick, Roach, Ant, Spider, Wasp, Gnat, Fly
Professional Pest Control Product
Price: $38.50
Free Shipping

•   The Same Products Pest Control Companies Use
•   Active Ingredient: Deltamethrin -75%
•   One pint Suspend SC makes up to 64 gallons of solution
•   Indoors and outdoors, including food handling areas
•   Target Pest: Ants, Carpenter ants, Carpet beetles, Firebrats, Fleas, Gnats, Midges, Centipedes, Millipedes, Pantry pests, Silverfish, Ticks, Bees, Bedbugs, Boxelder bugs, Cecid Flies, Cockroaches, Crickets, Stable flies, House flies, Cluster flies, Horseflies, Elm leaf beetles, Ground beetles, Moths, Midges, Hornets, Killer bees, Lice, Mosquitoes, Multicolored asian lady beetles, Pillbugs, Scorpions, Sowbugs, Spiders, Yellowjackets, Wasps, Formosan, and Eastern subterranean termites.
•    Lasts up to 3 months after application
•   Cannot be shipped to: NY, AK, CT. 

This all sounds pretty good to me!!

Here is a sprayer, if you don't already have one:

How To Get Rid Of Wood Bees, Bumblebees and Wasps

This spring brought a huge swarm of Carpenter / Wood Bees, Wasps, and Bumble Bees into our barn. I started spending a great deal of time with a tennis racket swatting at and missing the invaders. I thought there had to be a better way, so, to Google I went.

I found swatting, wood puttying and chemicals to be the remedies of choice. On one forum, somewhere, I read that Wood Bees don't like noise. Since I didn't want to stand out in the barn and yell all day every day, I plugged a radio in, turned on Rush Limbaugh and cranked his volume up.

The results were immediate, not only do Wood Bees dislike Rush Limbaugh but Wasps and Bumblebees don't like him either. They also don't like Sean Hannity, music, sports or advertising. They don't even like Liberals but since I have to listen to this also, I haven't tested the Liberal theory very extensively.

I haven't seen many flies either but have seen a few, so the jury is still out on fly prevention.

The downside of this for me is having to have the radio on all day. I prefer peace and quiet but certainly, don't like the damage that Wood Bees do.

For more Wasp tips: www.tipsbulletin.com/how-to-keep-yellow-jackets-away

Two for One

Two blogs in one day, can you beat that? Who knows I might make it three. I am sitting here feeling terrible. I have a sore throat, headache and cough. Whoever heard of a sore throat and cough in the middle of the hottest days of Summer.

If this happened during the winter months it wouldn't bother me so much but when it is 94 degrees in the shade, it isn't too fun. All I want is Banana Popsicles and I have totally run out.

Oh well, I guess I had better stop complaining, cowgirl up, get outside to clean up the milk stand, spray down the area for flies, milk the goat, prepare and give bottles to the bucklings, put Cooter up, feed and water.

Then I need to check and water my tomatoes, strawberries, cilantro, one little volunteer watermelon plant and three little flowers that are being taken over by weeds. We did have several sunflowers coming up that the Granddaughters planted but Angus took care of those, he ate them all.