Mutant Ladybugs

Once upon a time (within the last 15 years or so) the farmers in our area were having problems with a sort of fungus or something destroying their crops so the scientists discovered a mutant ladybug that would eat the fungus and not harm the crop (or so the story goes...). So now every late October and the weather is nice we are bombarded with mutant ladybugs between the hours of 2 -5 p.m. We're not talking your adorable, bright red, cute little lady bugs here. We're talking about big, dull reddish brown, stupid mutant ladybugs. When I say bombarded I mean BOMBARDED! Just to step outside those suckers land all over you and in your hair and try their darnedest to follow you in the house. Once, at about this time of year, we painted our large oil tank outside and by the time we were done it was covered with said bugs just a wigglin and a squirmin away. Serves 'em right if you ask me. Anyway, outside is not the only problem. They crawl through any little window screen space and walk all over the windows and fly in crazy circular patterns above the lamps bashing their little bodies on the ceiling....very annoying! The most humane person will take a glass of water and gather the suckers in it and pour the water outside and save the bug. I am not one of those people. I get the vacuum out and suck them up, which is easy if they are just wondering around on a flat surface but it's trickier to suck up a free-flying one that is flying in a circular motion! You see the extension rod on the vacuum is only so long and pulling on it to reach the ceiling to chase down a bug is very tiring and takes determination! (and it probably looks totally ludicrous to anyone watching and not ticked off at a bug) Not only are these bug annoying because they attack you and crawl all over the house but they leave a very stinky stink if you tick them off. The smell is a sort of cross between metal and rotting...no, it smells like rotting metal (if that were possible.) So, every year they crawl out of hibernation, mate, and annoy us like crazy....thanks scientists!