It usually starts in the middle of the night, not the proverbial bump in the night, but maybe just as annoying.

And during the day, it's that little movement that catches the corner of your eye. Nothing much, but a presence of some type.

The next thing you know, something is everywhere. Not just one something, but many somethings.

It's the invasion of the outdoors to the inside.

Start with the crickets, which can be the most unnerving, especially at midnight when you're trying to catch some sleep. Or you may be blessed, like I am, with a feline that delights in stalking and pouncing on the crickets, seemingly swallowing them whole and regurgitating them on your blankets in the wee small hours of the morning. Ick.

Of course, just as you start searching for the incessant chirping, it stops. Then it resumes when you're not looking. Turn a light on and it stops. Turn it off and it starts again. Argh!

Some cultures revere the cricket. Some celebrate it by placing a brass replica on the fireplace hearth. I just want them to stop making the noise while I'm trying to sleep. What they do during the day is their business.

Well, not quite. They will feed on fabrics, preferring natural linens, cottons, silk, and wools to the artificial polyesters. Dirty clothing is preferred over clean.

Then there are the ladybugs, the newest invaders to our castles. Specifically, they are the multi-spotted Asian lady beetles, an import to fight certain aphids. Unfortunately, they seem to relish our indoors during the winter.

They quickly fly from corner to corner or window to window, alighting on anything they choose. There's little buzzing and no chirping. Sometimes if you get in their way, they'll bite you.

Smash them and they stink. Really stink, which is why the birds won't eat them. Fortunately, Mr. Hoover and Mr. Eureka don't worry about the stink as they suck them right up into the dirt bag.

Most of the creatures enter the house because it's getting too cold outside. They're cold-blooded creatures and do not like the frost. Our homes seem to radiate heat like a beacon and they squeeze through the narrowest of cracks to invade our privacy.

Once indoors, most insects quickly hibernate for the winter or die within a matter of months. You don't find crickets in January for that reason. Ladybugs prefer to find a nice resting place for the winter, most likely between your walls. A few will be out scavenging and those are the ones that end up testing your wits and sanity.

The first line of defense is the outside of your house. Check around all windows, doors, faucets, and utility meters. If you find any cracks or crevices, even as thin as a dime, seal it with caulk. Make sure window screens and doors seal tightly. If your clothes dryer vents to the outside, make sure the vent isn't allowing creatures to enter.

Window screens should fit tightly. Those pesky ladybugs can slip between the cracks, though they usually don't move singly - it's usually a colony that descends, looking for those gaps.

Make sure that siding, whether wood, vinyl or aluminum, is attached properly.

If you bring plants, furniture, toys, or other items indoors for the winter, inspect them carefully for any six-legged hitchhikers. A thorough soaking may be your best bet.

Crickets prefer moist areas, so make sure pipes aren't dripping or sweating. Run a dehumidifier in the basement until the heating system really kicks in.

The vacuum cleaner is still the best control friend. I've known folks who keep theirs nearby always, turning it on for a couple of seconds to hunt down the unsuspecting tormentor and eliminating it from causing further trouble. In most cases, the insect can't escape from the bag, and the sucking power might literally remove some legs so the creature can't move. Empty the bag regularly as decaying insects don't always give off the most pleasant odor.

Happy hunting, and may you and the creatures of the night rest in peace.

David Robson is an Extension Educator, Horticulture, at the Springfield Extension Center, University of Illinois Extension, P.O. Box 8199, Springfield, IL 62791. Telephone: (217) 782-6515. E-mail: drobson@uiuc.edu