Invasion of the Ladybugs

If you have a light-colored house with southwest-facing windows, you might be surprised to see ladybugs beginning to make their home in yours. 

Ladybugs are probably one of the least offensive insects out there, but when they start showing up en masse in your house, you might not be too happy about it. These cute red and black beetles are creatures of habit. They like light-colored houses because heat more easily reflects off them. As for the southwest window, they love warm, bright areas where the afternoon sun keeps them comfortable. Like many insects and animals, ladybugs hibernate during the winter and wake up in the spring. They find tiny cracks and crevices, generally around windows, to creep into a home and rest for the colder months. When they find a comfortable spot, they release a pheromone to attract others, which is why you generally find more than one or two. Then they rest through the winter and start to wake up around now, not unlike our bear population.

While ladybugs might seem problematic, they are actually harmless. Unlike other wood and fabric-eating insects, ladybugs won’t feast on your home. On the contrary, as the weather warms, they actually look to get back outside. So if you are willing to be patient, the bugs will leave on their own. However, if you have a large infestation or just hate the idea of bugs in your house, the best thing to do is to vacuum them up and dispose of them outdoors. Why a vacuum? Killing the bugs in a way that is stressful will cause them to release their own blood, a yellow substance called hemolymph. This is a ladybug’s way of telling a predator that they are a no-good meal, but hemolymph also stains and stinks. Using a vacuum is gentler and will allow you to get the bugs back outside alive which is exactly where they want to be. 

As I mentioned, ladybugs will make their way back outside in the next few weeks but that doesn’t mean they won’t come back in the fall. Your best bet is to seal those southwest-facing windows to keep the bugs out and the heat in. Use caulk for small gaps or buy some weatherstripping to create a tighter seal around windows. Also, be sure to remove air conditioning units once the summer is over. Leaving them in will absolutely give ladybugs an opportunity to settle in for another season of comfort in your home. 

Bob O'Donnell is the owner of O'Donnell Bros, Inc., a Bristol-based home improvement company established in 1975. Email your questions for Bob to info@odonnellbros.com with the subject line “Ask the Pro”. All questions may be considered for publication. To contact Bob for your remodeling needs, call O'Donnell Bros, Inc. at (860) 589-5155 or visit www.odonnellbros.com. Advice is for guidance only.

Simple Sealing Solutions to Retain Lost Heat in the Home

Old, drafty windows can be a killer this time of year - both in terms of comfort and cost. Cranking up the thermostat to combat escaping heat can often double or even triple your energy bills, plus it makes your heat and cooling systems go into overdrive which can shorten their lifespan.

While I am a huge fan of the latest and greatest energy efficient windows on the market, I understand that sometimes replacing that old glass isn’t in the budget. Keeping this in mind, I wanted to give you a few tips to help you retain some of the heat you’re losing from those old windows.

First, it’s important to remember that windows are one of the biggest sources of air leaks, which is a big deal in two of our four seasons. In the cold weather they let the heat escape, and in the warm weather they let it in, making your climate control systems work much harder than they have to. While the simple solutions I've outlined below will help you retain some comfort, window replacement will be your best bet long term if you’re tripling your energy bill during certain months of the year. So let’s get to the tips:

1. Put up curtains. Believe it or not, hanging heavy fabric drapes can help you retain up to 25% of the heat in your home. This is especially true with large glass doors that aren’t being used in the winter months. The fabric acts as a barrier and while it won’t stop the air from getting out, it will slow the leakage. Plus, they can be very helpful in the summer, especially if your house gets a lot of direct sunlight.

2. Seal up gaps. Wooden window frames get warped with age and can lead to serious air leakage. For cracks that are smaller than a quarter of an inch, a silicone caulk will work to plug up areas where air can flow through. For larger gaps and places that need to still open and close, weatherstripping is an excellent solution. It comes in foam, felt, vinyl and other materials and is both cost-effective and easy to install.

3. Add a layer. Single pane windows in homes that were built more than 50 years ago simply can’t stand up to our cold winters. If you feel air coming right through the panes and the glass rattles with the wind, beef them up with some heat shrink film. This product can be found at any home supply store and can be cut to fit just about any pane. Using heat from a hairdryer, the plastic adheres to the glass, giving you a little bit of extra protection against the cold.

4. Close up the attic. While not a window, people with an attic hatch are likely losing a ton of warm air through its frame. We all know that hot air rises, so seal up that hatch with heavy duty plastic, or build yourself an insulated box to fit over the entryway if you still need access to storage.

5. Don’t forget the doors. We don’t often open the windows in the winter, but doors are a different story. They let lots of air escape, but they can’t be sealed completely because we need to use them. I always suggest inspecting your door sweep to ensure it’s not damaged, and replace it if the bristles have come loose. A door snake or seal can also come in handy, which can be purchased at any big box store or even made at home with an old pair of tights and some rice, beans, newspaper or another filling.

Bob O'Donnell is the owner of O'Donnell Bros, Inc., a Bristol-based home improvement company established in 1975. Email your questions for Bob to info@odonnellbros.com with the subject line “Ask the Pro”. All questions may be considered for publication. To contact Bob for your remodeling needs, call O'Donnell Bros, Inc. at (860) 589-5155 or visit www.odonnellbros.com. Advice is for guidance only.