HELOISE Ladybug invasion calls for two-part strategy

Dear Heloise: I have a terrible problem with ladybugs all year long. They are inside -- on my ceiling, on my front door and porch. Please help me and my children from running from these little creatures. Christine from Ardmore, Tenn.
It's usually rare to find an infestation of ladybugs inside a home. These bugs typically eat and breed outside, and they are related to the beetle family, so check with a hardware or home-improvement store for insecticides best for treating beetles.
Make your attack twofold. First, dust cracks and crevices in your home. Inside, you can simply vacuum up the little devils. Next, because they feed on trees and shrubs, it is necessary to treat the trees and shrubs near your home with insecticides. Spray or dust the perimeter of your home to make a barrier. Remember to follow the directions for application of the insecticides to ensure your and your family's safety while eliminating the pests.
If you have other unwelcome pests, send for my 10-page Heloise Battles Bugs pamphlet. Mail $3 and a long, self-addressed, stamped (60 cents) envelope to: Heloise/Bugs, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-5001. Remember, if you see bugs in or around your home, you should call an exterminator as soon as possible. Heloise
Dear Heloise: I read with interest the hint about using newspaper sleeves filled with shipping peanuts for mailing packages. Also, you commented that the peanuts can be messy.
Well, I have been using the sleeves for some time, but I save sleeves, stuffing them into one sleeve. I just fill the sleeve, tie the top, and it makes a very flexible, lightweight package packer. It is flexible enough to form around whatever is in the box you're mailing. Recycle, recycle. Jean Campfield, Brownsburg, Ind.
Recycling is a great way to help Mother Earth and save money at the same time. Thank you for taking time out of your day to write. Heloise
Dear Heloise: Before leaving on a trip, I leave an emergency contact list on the kitchen table. If the person who is getting my mail and watering my houseplants needs to get hold of me, he or she knows where we will be staying and can easily track us down. K.M. in Colorado
Dear Heloise: At a garage sale, I bought several woven cane or reed plates that are used as support for thin paper plates at picnics. I was uncertain about their cleanliness, so I ran them through my dishwasher in the upper rack on light wash. Then I dried them in the sun, because they were still wet at the end of the cycle. They look as bright and clean now as when they were new.
The cane material becomes saturated, but the form does not distort as long as it is not crimped during the cycle. Judy Bethel, San Diego
XSend a money-saving or timesaving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000; fax to (210) HELOISE, or e-mail heloise@heloise.com.
King Features Syndicate