How to keep ladybirds out your house as UK 'infested' by bugs

If you've noticed a huge increase in the number of ladybirds cropping up in your garden and home this autumn, you're not alone.

A number of UK residents have noted finding hundreds of the little bugs in their home.

While ladybirds might be cute, you probably don't want them scurrying around inside your house.

But why are they popping up here, there and everywhere? Well, it's all down to the lovely hot and humid spring and summer we've enjoyed, which has boosted the greenfly population, otherwise known as the small, sap-sucking aphid insects that ladybirds eat.

These tiny creatures produce more generations when the weather is warmer, so the hot summer allowed them to speed up their reproductive cycle, resulting in lots of food for ladybirds.

According to ladybird expert Professor Helen Roy, the UK Ladybird Society has recorded high numbers of sightings of harlequin ladybirds, seven-spot ladybirds and 14-spot ladybirds, as well as the specialist species hieroglyphic ladybird, the Shropshire Star reports.

"Aphid-feeding ladybirds such as seven-spot ladybirds and two-spot ladybirds are able to use various cues to determine whether the aphid colony is increasing or about to crash – and will lay their eggs near a population that’s going to increase and sustain their larvae through their development," Roy told the publication.

"They spread very rapidly and are now found across the UK in high numbers throughout the year. Harlequin ladybirds are voracious predators and while they will eat lots of aphids, they also feed on other insects including ladybird larvae, hoverfly larvae and other insects that are beneficial to gardeners."

How to keep ladybirds out your home

While there are notable benefits of the increasing ladybird population, it's understandable that residents would also prefer not to find them crawling all over their home. So, what can you do about it?

Ladybirds typically gravitate towards your home in a bid to escape the cold weather, so the best way to ensure they don't make it into your home in the first place is to winterise your house.

That means making sure that windows have tight fitting screens, using weatherstripping for doors and caulking around window frames as well as adding door sweeps at the bottom of exterior doors.

You can also use natural repellents to encourage ladybirds away from your home by placing a small bag of cloves or bay leaves in the area where they are gathering.

Meanwhile, placing a chrysanthemum plant near windows and doors can also serve as a natural deterrent, Southern Living reports.

Lastly, you can use a vacuum to clear up any dead ladybugs or place a napkin between the dustbag and hose to capture live ladybugs and disperse them outdoors.