Swarms of black and red menaces, causing annoyance and gross stains, have descended upon local doors and windowsills in recent weeks: ladybugs.

While the problem hasn't risen to the level shown in movies like "Arachnophobia" or "The Birds," resident and media reports have noted larger- than-usual populations of the bug. Besides Rhode Island, swarms have been reported in Lincoln, Mass., Missouri, Illinois and Toronto.

Phyllis Plouffe, a Charlestown resident with a home near Town Hall, said she came home one day last week to find about 50 to 60 ladybugs on her door and windowsills.

She scrambled into her house, trying to bat the bugs out of her hair. Plouffe said she understands the bugs are considered good, so she doesn't kill them if she can help it.

Jane Durning, a co-owner of the Riverside Christmas Tree Farm in Charlestown with her husband Kevin, said the bugs are great for their business.

"I think they're pretty awesome," she said. "They're very, very beneficial. Ladybugs are very good for Christmas trees."

According to Durning and Phil Nixon, a University of Illinois extension entomologist interviewed by the Associated Press, the bugs - also known as Asian lady beetles, part of the coccinellid family - are helpful because they eat aphids and other pests that can affect crops.

However, even though traditional lore is that ladybugs are lucky, Nixon added that they are frequently seen as pests. The bugs secrete an odor when confronted by a threat, such as humans, and leave messy stains when squished.

The bugs are normally more noticeable as the weather turns in the spring and fall, as the bugs swarm to warmer locations when the temperature spikes. Nixon said they especially like light-colored buildings with sunny exposures, and can sneak into a house via cracks in windows or doors.

Although Durning understands they can be pests, she enjoys them, since they are helpful for the Christmas trees. She's not exactly sure why the ladybugs are present in greater numbers this year, since she hasn't noticed more aphids.

"We get them every year, but they do seem increased in number this year," she said.

The solution, outside of making sure holes are well-caulked and sealed, is a bit odd - experts recommend using a vacuum cleaner to suck them up. Afterward, the bag and the bugs can be dumped away from the house.