little brown beetle on house
I've got small little bugs on one side of my house that look like kudzu beetles. They're not ladybugs or roaches but they're kind of round and there lots of them. like hundreds. What can I spray to keep them off the house?
Common little brown bugs that may invade a home for the winter include stinkbugs, roaches and ladybugs. You said you're sure these aren't ladybugs so my guess is they might be brown stinkbugs. If possible, please send us some for positive ID. There are reports of a relatively new beetle in Georgia called the Bean Plataspid. (scientific name is Megacopta cribraria). Native to India and China, this beetle is small and thrives on kudzu but can also live on just about any plant commonly found in the yard or garden. As you know, we have a kudzu problem in Georgia so these could be the beetles you have been seeing. We're currently trying to identify any regions with activity of this species so please call us at 1.800.877.7290 if you think the following pest looks like the one you've been seeing. For now these are the only images we have and would appreciate more if you are able to provide some.
Since these pests reportedly overwinter or hibernate when it gets cold, they could be seeking safe harborage for the upcoming winter on your home. However, they have been known to accumulate on homes anytime between spring and fall. When found during the spring, it is thought they are leaving the home for the upcoming warm months. When seen during the summer on the home, it is thought they are using the home as a nest site. And when found on the home in the fall, it is thought they are gathering to use the home for safe harborage for the duration of winter. The following video shows what they commonly do once they start invading the home:
To keep them off the house, treat the siding of the home with CYPERMETHRIN. It work's fast and should knock out the activity immediately. And if this pest is like most others, it will find the residual Cypermethrin to be highly repellent which should keep them away and off the home for several weeks. Retreat as needed which could be a couple of times a month if they reappear. This could be needed anytime from March through November. As you know, we can have mild falls well into December and my guess is they could remain active till the end of the year but we just don't have enough information to know for sure. We also offer an organic option known as BUG PATROL. Labeled for use in the yard for plants and turf, it comes packaged in a handy "ready to spray" container so you only need to hook it to your garden hose and get to work with no mixing required. Bug Patrol isn't as strong as the Cypermethrin so expect to treat more frequently if you choose this product. Lastly, if you're finding them in your vegetable garden, go with the organic MULTI PURPOSE INSECT KILLER. It's safe enough to use daily if needed but in general, 1-2 treatments will take care of most any problem.
If you start seeing inside the home, treat with CYKICK AEROSOL. This low odor aerosol is excellent for use in the house and covers a wide range of pests. It comes equipped with a crack and crevice straw tip making it ideally suited for treating all the small spaces this little brown beetle likes to use. Direct treatments to baseboard molding, door frames and around windows where they may be entering. Again, retreat as needed which may be 1-2 a month until the invasion subsides. The organic alternative for inside would be FLYING INSECT KILLER which is another aerosol that's well suited for indoor applications. Like the Cykick, it will handle this beetle when sprayed but it differs in that it leaves no real residual so you'll need to use it a lot more frequently compared to Cykick.
Here are direct links to the information and products listed above:
Cypermethrin: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/liquid/viper-cypermethrin
Bug Patrol: http://www.bugspraycart.com/organic/liquid/bug-patrol-32-oz-rts
Multi Purpose Insect Killer: http://www.bugspraycart.com/organic/liquid/multi-purpose-insect-killer-24-oz
Cykick: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/aerosol/pt-cykick-17-5-oz
Flying Insect Killer: http://www.bugspraycart.com/organic/aerosol/flying-insect-killer-14-oz
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Comments on little brown beetle on house
Paul Varner @ 8:53 pm
We have these bugs all over our vinyl siding and gutters! Today is Sunday, July 4, 2010. More info on controlling them would be appreciated…
admin @ 6:05 am
@Paul Varner: Let us know what type of information you're looking for and we'll see if we can add anything important. Right now the people calling us with the problem are treating with the Cypermethrin listed above and getting great results. Most activity is being noted on the outside so outside siding, around windows and on gutters. The spraying of these areas seems to do the job and after one or two treatments, they don't come back. The indoor complaints have been in the cold months and not so much in the summer when it's warm and food is plentiful outside.
Kathryn @ 6:56 pm
Hi, today is October 19, 2010 and i came home to my apartment and found these little critters all over my patio. I live in Midtown Atlanta in a newly constructed apartment building. They have attached themselves to the walls of my patio, door frame and in the corners. Bleh!
Tech Support @ 8:50 pm
Well, you're not alone. We've gotten reports of the same problem in the following zip codes: 30047 (Lilburn), 30067 (Marietta) and 30341 (Atlanta).
Jacqi Barker @ 3:16 pm
They are in the Lawrenceville area, too (30043) specifically around Rock Springs Elementary. They are everywhere! They are all over my car when I am in that area, and they are all over my kids when I pick them up from school.
Tech Support @ 6:41 pm
We've been getting more towns confirming this pest including 30075 (Roswell) and 30602 (Athens).
Duluth @ 4:34 pm
They are in Duluth! 30096… Swarms all over city hall
Norcross, GA @ 9:51 pm
These critters are all over the gas station pumps, trash cans & posts @ BJ's in Norcross (corner of Hwy 141 & Jimmy Carter Blvd.)! The attendant said they are breeding in the nearby kudzu at the side of Hwy 141 (P'tree Ind. Pkwy). Shouldn't EPA get involved or are the bugs considered harmless?
rick olla @ 8:41 am
These crazy little guys are all over my house. Banging into the windows an all. Creepy stuff
Buford Ga. We need to kill these guys now before they eat us. Like the movie the swarm.
Christine @ 9:39 pm
I think these guys are on my patio on my cayenne pepper plant! I live ini 30318. Are they harmful?
Tech Support @ 10:43 pm
@Christine: They're not harmful to people but as explained in the post above, they're most definitely harmful to the plants they eat. And since they'll eat just about any kind of plant, I suspect they might be targeting your cayenne pepper at this time. If you want to protect it (along with any other vegetables close by), get some of the Multi Purpose Insect Killer listed above. It's organic, fast acting and will protect any plant or vegetable plant close by that might be infected. Here's a link to it:
http://www.non-toxic-pest-control.com/concentrates/multi-purpose-insect-killer-24-oz
Eric @ 9:13 am
They're in Decatur too 30030
Debbie @ 8:44 pm
I forgot to say that we are in South Fulton Co. in Palmetto, 30268.
Beth @ 9:12 am
They are also in Gainesville, GA. I've been attacking the kudzu on the hill behind my house, and now they are retaliating by trying to get into my house.
Vern @ 10:41 pm
These bugs have invaded my firewood stack. Almost every stick, especially those on top of the stack, are covered with them. I've been dipping the wood in a solution of Permethrin 10% and this seems to take care of them. My question is: Will it be safe to burn the wood in an inclosed wood stove in my house after treating it with this chemical?
Vern @ 10:43 pm
By the way, I live in Franklin Springs, GA about 30 miles NE of Athens.
Tech Support @ 7:05 am
@Vern: First, any normal wood stove should be channeling the smoke to the outside of the structure because smoke is lethal. If you have your stove doing this, there is no risk with burning wood that contains a wide range of potential contaminants including a light amount of pesticide. This is so because it's not likely there is much of any actual Permethrin on the wood because you're dipping the wood into a diluted solution. That means there is so little of actual Permethrin on the wood that any fumes from the chemical being burned would be inconsequential compared to all the normal by-products of the burning process that even if someone was breathing it, there is a huge list of other contaminants that would kill them first. Second, are you dipping the wood and then bringing it inside soaking wet? This to me would be more of a risk as wood dripping Permethrin would pose a hazard to people and pets inside the home and I'm sure this "overkill of a treatment" is really not needed to prevent these beetles from getting into the home. So here are two options that should cover you whether you burn the wood immediately upon bringing it inside or if you want to bring it inside to store for a few days out in the open before burning it.
If you want to bring it inside for immediate burning, there is really no need to spray it with anything. Simply wipe the wood down quickly moments before you enter the home with a piece or two. Even if 1-2 beetles are left on the wood, they'll most likely stay there and die in the fire. And if they did fall off by chance, it's not likely they'd be able to cause any problems inside the home.
Now if you want to bring the wood inside to store it for a few days before burning, I suggest you stop dipping the wood in Permethrin 10 and change to a simple spraying process instead. I'm sure either of the two organic products listed above such as the MULTI INSECT KILLER or the FLYING INSECT KILLER will handle this job fine. And since both have a short "one day to harvest" residual, there won't be any pesticide left on the wood for more than a day. The Permethrin is much stronger than either of these products and will present more of a hazard when left out in the open which is just not needed. But if you insist on spraying the wood with something, either of these two organic alternatives would be better suited and in the end, serve the same purpose but with a lot less of a hazard being brought inside and presented to any people, kids or pets that might be around.
Vern @ 12:50 pm
Thanks for the advice! I will be stacking the wood under a shelter for several days before bringing it inside the house.
Katherine @ 11:14 pm
I am so glad I found this article! These bugs are alive and well, both outside AND inside my house in Athens, Georgia 30601. I have collected samples of the bugs if you would like them.
Covington @ 12:56 pm
We have these little brown beetles everywhere in Covington, GA.
Mary @ 1:54 pm
I have them too. They are only outside. I have a hugh patch of kudzu behind my house. This the first year I have ever had them. I live in Good Hope Ga. Are they transient creatures? Will they be back next year?
Tech Support @ 3:20 pm
@Mary: These are most definitely not "transient". In other words, they're here to stay. For the past two years we've seen their regional activity do nothing but grow and all indicators is that they will expand their horizons throughout the southeast like some of the other invasive insects that have landed here in the states. And as our customers can attest, failure to keep them off any building will most definitely lead to them ending up inside. The lesson to be learned here is if you start seeing them on your home, be sure to treat as explained above to keep them out. Treatment methods and the products you'll need are listed above and in the following post:
http://www.bugspray.net/globular-stink-bugs/globular-bug-known-kudzu-bug.html
Allyson @ 3:53 pm
We have these all over the trees at my office building in Sandy Springs right by Perimeter mall. They are harmless but very annoying because there are so many of them. I would think the birds would be fat and happy campers about now but they don't seem to be eating them.
Jeaneen @ 12:45 pm
As mentioned above, these bugs are in area code 30341 (Atlanta/Tucker area). They are mostly on the outside of our townhouse but we have found a few of them indoors as we have been opening the doors to enjoy the nice weather. We have a patch of kudzu near our townhouse, so that must be what they are feeding on. Now, I guess they are seeking a home for the winter in our townhouse.
RON @ 4:53 pm
They are DEFINITELY in hephzibah and augusta georgia. All over my pear trees.
Rick @ 1:22 pm
We just discovered dozens of them all over the Kudzu behind our building in Suwanee, GA. They're all over the cars in the parking lot too.
jeffery givens @ 7:47 pm
I HAVE 30 ACRES OF KUDZU SURROUNDING MY HOME, KILLING THE KUDZU IS NOT AN OPTION.ANY SUGGESTIONS ON HOW TO KILL THE KUDU BUGS?? WE HAVE MILLIONS OF THEM ON OUR HOUSE,YOU CAN'T GO OUTSIDE THEY LITERLY HAVE MY FAMILY HELD PRISONER INSIDE THE HOUSE.. MY SON AND I WERE WORKING OUTSIDE LAST SUMMER-BOTH OF US HAD TO SEE A DOCTOR,WE HAD HUNDREDS OF BITES ON OUR LEGS-HAD TO TREATED WITH STEROID CREAM.. VERY PAINFUL BITES THANKS TO KUDZU BEETLES.. I WOULD APPRECIATE ANY INFO THAT WOULD HELP!!!!! thank you..
Michele Palicka @ 8:12 pm
I live in Suwanee by North Gwinnett High School and today April 20, 2011 these bugs arrived. They are on my tree in my front yard and my front porch. We have sprayed ( tonight) them so we are looking forward to their departure. It is weird,we were outside yesterday and saw none, today hundreds, really weird. How so many came so fast is really weird.
Julie W @ 6:09 am
I discovered these on my Wisteria yesterday, 5/12/11. I'm in Mills River, NC 28759.
christine @ 3:44 pm
I have these all over my home and garden in Grant Park, in downtown Atlanta (30315). I caught one to identify and can send additional pictures. They are very bothersome and destroying all my plants.
Colleen Hilton @ 8:26 pm
These are all over my wisteria. I have just seen them the past week or so. I noticed them on my screens and at first thought they were ladybugs when I looked from inside the house, but the shape was wrong. I found a dead one in my windowsill and got a closer look. They are definitely kudzu beetles. I live in Hephzibah,Ga and today is 7/18/2011
Claudine in Hoschton @ 10:30 am
Eeewwww. Since moving to Jackson County I have seen all kinds of bugs that I've never seen before in my life. Yep got these things on our wisteria too, by the hundreds. I can't stand to even cut it back because they get on me. Thanks for the info, don't want them in my house too!!
Fawn @ 6:42 pm
They're in Loganville, 30052! Just walked outside to enjoy the deck and growing process of my Wisteria. Was shocked to see these beetles. My husband ran for the bug spray, I ran for the computer. I didn't want him to harm the little things. He wins and has my blessing to spray spray spray! Now I have to get out there and see if they are all over my yard.
drew @ 7:19 pm
they are awful smell and will land right on you while doin yard work. anyway today is 8/22/11 and there bad in kennesaw(30144) ans marietta(30066)
Marguerite @ 12:12 pm
These obnoxious bugs attacked me when I cut back my wisteria! Got into my clothing and everything! I thought they were ladybugs until I got a close look at them, and the photo you have here is exactly them!
Tim @ 7:25 pm
While there is no kudzu anywhere near my Marietta house I have found two of these guys on my person in the last 3 weeks. The smell is awful and today I recognized it immediately but could not find where it was at. Turned out it was climbing up the inside of my shorts. The first one was climbing on my neck. I do still have the corpse from today although I admit that when I felt it on me my instinct was to crush it but the pic you have posted here is dead on.
Lyn @ 1:24 pm
my office front is covered in these pests. they're swarming everywhere, can't even go outside without at least 10 or more landing on me. this is crazy.
Tony Trevarthen @ 12:56 pm
We've got these bugs swarming our house just like ladybugs tend to do. They seem to be harmless, but they do stink when you crush them. We live in Cleveland, GA, and have never seen these bugs before.
Anonymous @ 4:15 pm
Just located a bunch of these bugs around my door frame in Villa Rica, GA (30180)
Mr & Mrs. Pierre @ 4:53 pm
They have just invaded our front porch all over the door ,windows & the car. The lil bastards even tried to fly in my nose . they attach to everything it seems even your skin, so make sure your not bringing them in your home. so check everything good luck.
Ryan @ 2:18 pm
I live in Greenville Sc. My yard and stores around town are covered in those little brown beetles. They are very annoying
Gwen @ 12:59 pm
OMG, I am having a problem with these little bugs as well. Thankfully, they haven't entered my home as yet. They are really scary to look at when clumped together; freaks me out. When I first started to notice them, I immediately thought of Alfred Hitchcock – LOL. Just makes my skin crawl. Glad to know I'm not the only one facing this dilemma that hopefully will be solved (at least temporarily) when I spray. DISGUSTING!!!
D.Miller @ 2:13 pm
my house is covered with hundreds and hundreds of there bugs..we live in mauldin s.c…its sooo scary they are getting inside my window screens and and all…they have my neighbors house covered as welll !!!
erin @ 3:19 pm
this little flying bugs are hundreds outside my apartment patio door and all along the rain gutters. these bugs dont bite, but they are a pest to everyone. cant even open up my patio door because they are everywhere hundreds and hundreds of them. the apartment manager is aware and is having maintance and pest control come spray soon. ahhh. these bugs need to go away soon.
R. Madlem @ 3:23 pm
They are all over my Roses and Cosmos. Went to trim the Cosmos as it appeared it was dying off and swarms of them lifted into air. They are now all over the up and downstairs porches on the front of my house. In the bushes, trees. I am in the Summerhill / Grant Park area, 30312.
Terra Moore @ 5:36 pm
@Paul Varner: Please someone Help!!!! I need to know about an insect repellent that will keep these bugs at bay. They are swarming my house and we live by a creek with a lot of kudzu so that explains it ..So now how can I control them….When its hot they are swarming I have to run to my car it's so many…They are flying everywhere and coming in through a window that we have no screen on….
Terra Moore @ 5:52 pm
Douglasville…30134
Tech Support @ 6:49 pm
@Terra Moore: for starters, read the information at the top of this thread. In there we talk about the Cypermethrin you can spray to keep them out of your home. Use this in the yard too. It will kill them on contact and repel them from treated areas:
http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/liquid/viper-cypermethrin
The article information is above:
http://www.bugspray.net/beetles/little-brown-beetle-on-house.html
T Parrish @ 12:00 am
I too am in Douglasville 30134, and they were all over my front porch; heck they were flying all around the front yard. They are so strange, and I've never seen them before. My father was over here, and he had never seen them either. (He's 79) Now, one or two are in the house, but I think it came from opening the door. (At least I hope.)
KL @ 12:23 pm
We are in Marietta (30066) and they have TAKEN OVER! This site was so very helpful in helping us to identify these pests. We will be trying some of the treatments recommended here. Thank you!
Kai @ 1:01 pm
Gross!!! Yeap that is the bug I am seeing everywhere outside of my home.I live in Decatur, GA in a townhome and I have been seeing these little bugs on my rear upstairs window since May… 1 or two at a time everyday. October 15th, 2011 I walked out of my front door and they were everywhere flew in my hair on my shoulder all around my car… I was terrified. I then went to get some bug spray to spray the outside. Needless to say they flew right at me while I was spraying and it did not seem to bother them at all. In fact a hour later when I walked outside there were about 20 gathered in the front of my house on one of my upstairs windows and several more scattered about everywhere else all over the outside of my house. Today 10/17 there are about 20 sitting on my upstair rear window. Strange thing is my home is connected to one other home and there are no bugs on their windows at all. I will go get the spray that you suggested…
Ducker @ 6:38 am
I live in Pendleton, SC and have never seen these bugs until the last month or so. They are crawling and swarming all over our Public Works building. We have sprayed regular insect repellent but it doesn't seem to phase them. They swarm us when we walk out of the building and the assistant said she thinks one bit her. Do they bite? I will pass this info along to our town bug guy and the school district because they are all over the school too. Yuck!
Q @ 10:00 am
I am so thankful to have found this website. We have noticed about 3 or 4 of them in our home over the last couple of weeks…..Lithonia 30038. We could not figure out what they were. Then, just yesterday, they were swarming the windows of my office building Atlanta 30313….16th floor no less. Then today, I read an article in the AJC about the kudzu bug…and lo and behold, those were the critters i've been seeing. I will head out to buy some repellant to keep these suckers out of my home for the winter.
Bonnie @ 8:45 pm
We have had these Kudzu bugs for a few weeks now. They love the front of our house with the new white siding and columns. We are in Waxhaw, NC. Didn't know what they were until I saw an article in the paper today and then looked up this website. They also are all over the fig trees. I plan to get spray for both the house and trees. Will these bugs go away when we have a good freeze? I plan to use Cypermethrin on the house and Multi purpose Insect Killer on the fig tree.. Anything else that you know will help???
Tech Support @ 8:50 pm
@Bonnie: You are right on the mark with what you're getting and where you intend on spraying. Use the Cypermethrin on the house. It's fast acting on these guys and will repel them for at least a week or two – sometimes longer. For any vegetable plants or fruit trees, the Multi Purpose is the way to. Remember, get them now before your home becomes their nest for the winter!
Cypermethrin: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/liquid/viper-cypermethrin
Multi Purpose: http://www.bugspraycart.com/organic/liquid/multi-purpose-insect-killer-24-oz
Gwen @ 12:44 pm
Good bless your company for creating this site! You have really eased my fears, and thankfully, they only stuck around for about four (4) days. OMG…scary! They were after my rose bushes!! Yuck!!
Gwen @ 12:44 pm
I meant to say God bless your company : )
Rebecca @ 8:28 am
have these swarming in Charlotte, NC. they seem to be destroying the vegetable garden :(
Tech Support @ 8:32 am
@Rebecca: No need to let this happen. A treatment with the organic MultiPurpose Insect Killer will knock them right out.
http://www.bugspraycart.com/organic/liquid/multi-purpose-insect-killer-24-oz
Lisa @ 4:33 pm
OMG! these bugs stink so bad. don't try to kill them with your hand or you will smell it forever. the smell gives me a headache and makes me sick to my stomach.
Chewie @ 5:48 pm
They are here. Dillard, Ga. 30537. Only had several dozen so far but am fearful that they will increase. No kudzu around. Are they harmful to pets?
Tech Support @ 5:51 pm
@Chewie: They're not harmful to people or pets. They do smell and can leave a lingering odor which some people claim is irritating. And if left unattended, they can become an invasive pest as our article above explains. So if you see them accumulating on the home, get them treated before they move inside.
Mari @ 6:09 pm
Ughh. These things made it to Camden, SC!!!! Driving me insane- it's a war zone trying to get in and out of the house. And with a crawling baby, I can't stand them near the doors and windows. We have NO kudzu here, so aggravating. Do local pest services treat for these? I really don't have time to worry about these and would rather have someone just come and take care of it. Thanks for the website! I couldn't find out what they were anywhere else.
Tech Support @ 8:47 pm
@Mari: Most companies aren't treating for this pest but if you ask for a "one time" exterior service, that should do the job. Just be sure to get it done enough so the beetles don't start nesting. In order to do this, you'll probably have to treat a few times yet this season.
jamie @ 3:17 pm
Theyare here in Canton GA also!
Katie @ 8:41 pm
These bugs are horrible. We live in Hayesville, NC. On 10-31-11 after trick or treating in town my son was bitten by one of these nasty bugs. It left 4 what looked like burn marks on both thighs. He screamed due to the burning pain he experienced. The pediatrician wasn't sure what it was til I showed her the corpse then found a live one to bring her. She said she saw one this weekend and knew what it was. So yes they do bite probably if feeling threatened. It's now Thursday and he's still red, blistered looking and itchy. Thought I'd share, please beware.
Frank @ 11:52 pm
I just noticed these in my home today. I swatted one off of my hand not knowing what it was. A few minutes later a second bug was crawling on my arm. I have never seen them before and at first glance thought they were ladybugs…that is until I got one under a bright light. I just began my research on them this evening (11-8-2011) and found out they are related to stink bugs…that explains the funny smell on my hand when I swatted the first one off. The smell remained on my hand even after washing with soap and water. Nasty. I live in Blacksburg, SC right on the NC/SC state line.
Erin @ 2:54 pm
OMG
I live in Summerville SC and have these nasty bugs all over my brick home and my pine trees. Until now I could not find out to treat them. I have even called Clemson Agri here and ask a couple pest control companies and they had no idea. I am so glad to have found your company. Will either of the above mentioned chemicals harmful to pets? I am deathly affraid of bugs and will not leave my home.
Tech Support @ 11:00 pm
@Erin: The products listed above can all be used safely where people and pets are active. Just be sure to keep the pets away from the area as you treat. Once the treatment dries, there will be no hazard so they can return safely to these areas.
And FYI, getting treatments done early is ideal. This way they're not able to migrate into the structure and live during the winter so they can return next year. Be sure to treat all sides of the home where you see them and you should get rid of the invasion for now.
mark @ 8:24 am
Sunday 11/13/11 – just found one crawling on the sheets in our guest bedroom. I am in Western Union County/Marvin NC – about 5 miles from the SC border