They may look cute, but the lady bugs that swarm Middle Tennessee homes every fall are usually Asian lady beetles — not the friendly garden defenders we learned about as kids. These lookalikes can invade homes in huge numbers, leave behind stains and smells, and even trigger allergies.

Active Seasons

Lady bugs become a serious issue in the fall, especially in October and November, as they seek out warm places to overwinter. Once inside, they can remain active through the winter if indoor heating keeps temperatures high enough.

Lifespan

Lady beetles can live up to a year, often surviving the winter indoors and emerging in spring. Some may even live long enough to produce a second generation inside the home.

Reproduction Rate

Though most indoor lady bugs don’t breed inside homes, outdoor populations multiply rapidly in late summer. A single female can lay up to 1,000 eggs during the warmer months, contributing to mass invasions in the fall.

How to Identify

• Color: Ranges from red-orange to pale yellow, often with black spots, but some have none.

• Shape: Dome-shaped, like classic ladybugs, but slightly larger.

• Behavior:

  • Gather in large numbers on sunny sides of buildings

  • Crawl into attics, window frames, and wall voids

  • Release a yellowish defensive liquid when disturbed, which smells bad and stains surfaces

Fun fact: Unlike native lady bugs, Asian lady beetles will bite, though it’s not dangerous — just annoying.

Health Concerns

• Can bite humans — it’s rare but unpleasant

• The yellow secretions can trigger mild allergic reactions or asthma symptoms

• Dead beetles attract secondary pests like carpet beetles and spiders

Property Concerns

• Large numbers can stain walls, curtains, and furniture

• They gather in attics, light fixtures, ceiling corners, and behind wall trim

• In some cases, they even emit an odor that lingers for days after vacuuming or squashing

Why You Need Perimeter Pest

Once lady bugs are inside, it’s already too late for DIY fixes. They’ll hibernate in wall voids and reappear again and again until spring.

Perimeter Pest offers seasonal exterior treatments designed to prevent entry in the first place — sealing cracks, applying targeted barrier sprays, and cutting off access to attics, siding gaps, and windows. We help you avoid the frustration, stains, and smells of an indoor swarm before it starts.

Lady bugs don’t belong in your living room. Let Perimeter Pest stop the invasion before it begins — the local pros Middle Tennessee trusts for pest prevention.