LON GROSSMAN: Seal house well to avoid beetles

June 2, 2002

Dear Lon: How can I get rid of those ladybugs that are invading my home? They are everywhere.

Dear Reader: Ladybugs are cute and a sign of good luck, but the ones in your house are Asian lady beetles. Instead of being black and red like the cute ones, they're mustard colored, black and orange. Free Press garden writer Marty Hair wrote about lady beetles on Oct. 23, 2001. She stated the bugs were brought from Asia to attack aphids down South. Obviously, they didn't appreciate the southern hospitality and started migrating north.

The best way to keep them out is by weather-stripping, caulking and sealing around your house. They don't do any damage to your house, and pesticides are probably more harmful than the beetles are annoying. For more information, visit www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/
2000/001030.beetlefacts.htm.

Write LON GROSSMAN at P.O. Box 828, Detroit, MI 48231. Grossman is president of Technihouse Inspections Inc., a Detroit-area residential and commercial inspection company. Grossman's book, "Around the House," can be ordered for $9.95 plus $3 for postage and handling, using Visa or MasterCard. Call 800-245-5082, 8-5 weekdays.

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