Q: How can I get rid of an infestation of ladybugs without using harmful chemicals or expensive traps? I vacuum them up by the hundreds, but there are always more.

A: These are Asian lady beetles, also known as ladybugs. They are welcome guests in many agricultural areas (though not in houses) because of their appetite for plant pests such as aphids and mites. They invade some houses when cold weather arrives and their food supply disappears. Spraying around the outside of the house with chemical pesticides is one of the usual treatments, but some relief can be attained by closing up gaps in the exterior shell of the house that let the bugs gain access. Closing gaps means using caulking and weather-stripping around windows, doors, foundation, pipes that penetrate outside walls, and so forth.

Ladybugs in the house are a nuisance but are basically harmless. Vacuuming is probably the best means of controlling an indoor infestation. Eventually you should be able to eliminate most of the bugs, since they don't reproduce indoors. For more information, visit the www.doyour-ownpestcontrol.com and click on ladybugs.

Q: I lubricated the squeaking hinges of several interior doors. The squeaking stopped, but now the doors won't stay open. What happened and what can I do about it?

A: Before you lubricated them, the door hinges were sticking enough to keep the doors open. The lubrication freed the hinges and the doors swing shut now because they are not "plumb" or perfectly vertical in their frames. One simple solution is to remove one of the hinge pins, prop the ends of the pin on two pieces of wood, and hit the pin sharply with a hammer. The idea is to bend the pin just slightly. When replaced in the hinge, the pin should cause enough friction to keep the door in the position you want.

Another option is to use a doorstop. I like the kick-down type, which screws to the bottom of the door. A small lever is kicked down to keep the door in any position.

QUICK TIP: A brush with stiff wire bristles is a useful tool for any do-it-yourselfer, but make sure the bristles are brass instead of steel. Tiny bits of metal can break off when using a wire brush, lodging in tiny cracks or pores. If the particles are steel, they eventually will rust and create stains; brass bristles won't rust.