Lady bugs & stink bugs
Lady bug and stink bug control for mountain cabins
By cabin owners, for cabin owners.
Every October the sunny side of a cabin starts crawling with beetles and stink bugs looking for a winter home. We seal the gaps they use and time an exterior treatment for late summer, so next fall your guests see the view, not bugs on the glass.
Licensed & insured in Tennessee
Locally owned
Same-week appointments
Timing
Timing beats spraying the swarm
Once beetles are inside your log walls, no spray reaches them all. The fix happens before they arrive: seal the gaps on the sunny walls, then treat the outside in late summer, right before they go looking for winter shelter. It is the approach Joe uses on his own rental cabins.
Gap sealing on sunny walls, windows and eaves
Exterior treatment in late summer, applied as directed
Free estimate, no long-term contract
Late
summer
timing
Seal · Treat · Before the swarm
Know what you are seeing
Why so many lady bugs in the fall?
The orange beetles on your windows are rarely the native ladybugs from the garden. They are Asian lady beetles (Harmonia axyridis), brought to the United States to eat crop pests. Beside them is the brown marmorated stink bug, a mottled brown, shield-shaped bug with the same habits.
As the days get shorter, both fly to sunny, light-colored walls, mostly on the south and west sides, and crawl into any gap they find:
Gaps between logs and along chinking
Window and door frames
Attics and soffitsa
Behind trim and exterior light fixtures
They are not there to eat or breed. They wait for spring and wander toward the light on warm winter days, which is when guests find them.
1
Vacuum them. Do not crush them.
Crushed lady beetles stain and smell, and stink bugs live up to their name. Use a bagged vacuum, then seal the bag and take it outside.
2
Skip the indoor bug spray.
It cannot reach the ones hiding in the walls.
3
Warn your housekeepers.
Have them check sills, light fixtures and beds at every turnover. Lady beetles can nip, which surprises guests more than it hurts.
4
Call us this week.
We treat the outside where they gather, seal what we can reach now and show you where the rest get in.
5
Book next year now.
We schedule your late-summer treatment before the first cool nights.
Our process
How our lady bug and stink bug service works
Sealing does the heavy lifting. The treatment keeps them from settling on the walls.
Inspect
We find where they gather and mark gaps on sunny walls, windows and the roofline.
01
Seal
We seal what we can reach and flag anything that needs a carpenter.
02
Treat in late summer
We treat the walls and eaves where they land, applied as directed.
03
Report with photos
Photos of the gaps we found and what we did, for you or your property manager.
04
Before next fall
Keep them off the cabin next year
Most of these are winter jobs for your handyman.
Replace torn screens and screen attic and soffit vents
Caulk around window trim, utility lines and light fixtures
Check door sweeps and weatherstripping
Service area
Lady bug and stink bug control across the Smokies
Cabins and homes in Sevier, Blount, Knox and Cocke County. Cabins with big, sunny walls tend to see the biggest swarms.
Reviews
What cabin owners say
★★★★★
Called on a Tuesday about wasps under the deck rail and they were out the next morning. Gone, and they have not come back.
SM
Sarah M.
Sevierville
★★★★★
We rent our cabin out most weekends. They worked around the booking calendar and sent photos after, so I knew exactly what was done.
DR
Daniel R.
Pigeon Forge
★★★★★
Quoted a flat price up front and that is what I paid. Polite, quick, and they explained what they were spraying and why.
KH
Kelly H.
Maryville
FAQ
Lady bug and stink bug questions
Still not sure what to do? Call 865-500-0571 and talk it through with us.
Most are Asian lady beetles, not native ladybugs. In fall they fly to sunny, light-colored walls and crawl into gaps around logs, windows and attics to spend the winter. On warm days they wander out toward the light, which is when guests see them.
They are not known to spread disease or damage the cabin, but they are a real nuisance. Lady beetles can nip and leave yellow stains when crushed, and stink bugs smell. In a rental, that is enough for a bad review.
Late summer to early fall, before they gather on your walls. If they are already inside, we can still treat the outside and seal gaps now, but treating ahead of the swarm works best.
Vacuum them. Crushing them stains and releases the smell, and indoor sprays miss the ones in the walls. Use a bagged vacuum, seal the bag and put it outside.
Free estimate
Get a free estimate
Tell us where the property is and what you are seeing. We will call you back to set up a walkthrough, with no pressure and no long-term contract.