How Effective are Ladybugs for Pest Control
                     
Ladybugs are colorful insects that 
love to eat mites and aphids, 
and a single adult can eat as many 
as 50 aphids a day. 
When you’re exploring options 
for controlling insects, you may 
come across recommendations 
to do a ladybug release. 
This can have some benefits 
for reducing aphid populations, 
but this shouldn’t be your only 
method for pest control.
Wild-Harvested Ladybugs 
Could Harbor Diseases
Many companies that sell ladybugs 
for release capture them in the wild.
These ladybugs often have parasites 
that will be introduced to your local 
environment if they are not 
harvested from your area.  
Since these parasites can limit 
the lifespan of ladybugs, 
bringing in infected ones could 
impact the local population.
Ladybug Ladybug 
 Fly Away Home 🎵
Most released ladybugs fly away 
within 48 hours, and you’ll be back 
to square one after they’re gone.
Large Populations Tend 
to Attract Predators
Natural methods for insect control 
can sometimes backfire – 
a sudden explosion in the ladybug 
population could look like a feast to 
other pests. 
Birds love to eat ladybugs, 
and having a big flock arrive could 
leave your garden full of droppings. 
Spiders, stink bugs and wasps 
are predators that could also 
increase in population when 
there’s a sudden influx of food.
Ladybugs Don’t Eat 
Bigger Bugs
Attracting ladybugs by planting 
marigolds, asters and other fragrant 
flowers in your landscape won’t do 
any harm.
However, they don’t eat cockroaches, 
ants and other nuisance insects 
- you’ll still need to spray to keep 
them away.
Ladybug or Asian Lady Beetle?
The Asian lady beetle looks similar 
to a ladybug, but there are 
differences - like a white “m” 
shaped spot on the black band 
behind its head. 
This species of insect is more 
aggressive than the traditional 
ladybug, as they can bite humans 
and are more likely to invade homes. 
If you find ladybugs inside, 
or you suspect that they are actually 
Asian lady beetles, CALL US out to 
do an inspection.
Custom Weed & Pest Control 
has been in business since 1989, 
serving the greater Phoenix 
metro area for both residential 
and commercial.
We offer an affordable weed 
and pest control package, 
with customized service to meet 
your specific needs.