SCOTT SHALAWAY Unleashing beetlemania

Occasionally a column unleashes a totally unexpected avalanche of mail. Last week's piece on lady beetles did just that.
Some letter writers seemed nearly panic stricken. One reader complained: "If you truly believe what you wrote, then you have been brain-washed. As far as these pests being beneficial, I can't see it... The house is polluted with them, inside and out... They bite and make a terrible mess...
The government should be finding ways to get rid of them and stop the nonsense of bringing other countries' pests to the U.S. We spray, sweep, swat, and bomb them."
Another wrote: "I feel the ones who turned the bugs out should pay to exterminate them. They get in the cupboards and closets. Is there any way you can help me get rid of them? No one should be tormented by these bugs, especially old people and the disabled."
I could quote others, but you get the point. My family and I have experienced the same extreme conditions, so I know the problem. But let's be reasonable.
First introduction: Ed Saugstad, a retired entomologist from Sink's Grove, W.Va. wrote to point out that the first ladybug introduction took place more than 100 years ago, in 1888.
The cottony cushion scale insect was threatening to destroy California's citrus industry. Entomologists determined that this particular scale came from Australia, so they traveled there to find a natural enemy.
They found a species of lady beetle that ate this scale, brought some back to the U.S., and propagated them. When the lady beetles were released, the scale insect problem disappeared in just a few months.
So first it must be understood that introductions of natural predators, agents of biological control, are done with the best of intentions.
But too many people want easy solutions to their problems. If you want to spray your house with chemicals to rid yourself of a temporary inconvenience, be my guest. Just don't invite me over for dinner.
Shelves of garden centers and home improvement stores are lined with insect killers. But at least follow the label directions. More is not better, it's just more. And if pets and kids start getting sick, don't rule out a connection to household chemicals.
Warm and dry: Lady beetles overwinter in our homes because it's warm and dry. They do not reproduce there. They gather around window frames because they're trying to get outside. Solve this problem the easy way. Crack the windows. The lady beetles will leave on their own. Those that remain are easily vacuumed. That's the safe solution.
Here's another idea. If the plague is intolerable, call an exterminator. I'm sure many would be happy to take your money. And if you're not willing to spend a few bucks to solve the problem, maybe it's not so bad after all.
One more thought: the lady beetle problem illustrates a point I've made before. Too much of anything usually causes problems. Too many deer leads to car/deer collisions and lawn and garden damage. Too many geese soil the grass at golf courses, parks, and backyards. Too many hawks kill birds at feeders. Too many robins roosting in the back yard cover the car with droppings.
Balance in nature is illusive. We build highways, factories, malls, and housing developments. We pollute the air and water. We mine the planet. We cut down forests and damn rivers. We overgraze grasslands. We generate toxic wastes. We build huge landfills for our garbage. Yet we expect the living planet to accommodate us--forever.
Action and reaction: An immutable law of physics states that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. It's just as true in nature.
Every time we take from the environment, we lose something. And we've been taking for centuries. Sooner rather than later, we must start giving just a little back. Perhaps our homes and backyards are a good place to start. Resist the quick, deadly, chemical fix and tolerate a temporary inconvenience. This too shall pass.
UCatch my radio show on the Internet every Saturday afternoon from 2 to 4 at www.1360wptt.com.