The multi-colored or multi-spotted Asian Lady Beetles have created a not-so-good name for themselves in the fall. Although they are considered beneficial insects, their sheer numbers create headaches for homeowners.

Lady beetles will squeeze through tiny cracks and crevices around windows, doors, utility pipes, and loose siding to enter your home. Dark-colored homes aren't as prone to insect invasion as white or light-colored ones.

Inside, the beetles congregate on southern or western walls and windows for warmth. We probably only see a fraction of the creatures that are overwintering between the walls. The good news is that the beetles will not reproduce indoors.

Caulk cracks and crevices, particularly on the south and west sides of your home. Make sure doors and windows close tightly. Avoid leaving windows open on warm autumn days, especially if screens are not tight.

Multicolored Asian lady beetles are strongly attracted to "black light traps." The trap is basically a collector bag placed under a black light bulb. The beetles fall in the trap and cannot escape. They aren't killed, so they can be relocated outside.

For indoor control, use a vacuum cleaner to suck them up. You might just consider keeping the vacuum out for the next month as the beetles work their way into rooms. Empty the bag regularly. Once temperatures turn extremely cold in December, the number entering rooms of the house will drop drastically.

Remember that the beetles stain when crushed. A regular broom or rag may not be the best bet.

Lady beetles are a nuisance but are not dangerous to humans, pets, food, or household items. The University of Illinois does not recommend using a chemical for indoor control.

Raised planters, window boxes, barrels, and containers of all types and sizes are used to grow and display plants on patios, decks, and other outdoor locations. When fall arrives, you need to take steps to ensure that plants left in them survive the winter, and the container itself is not damaged.

Tropical plants such as banana, citrus, or figs should be moved into warm conditions for the winter. They should not be exposed to freezing temperatures, and preferably not to temperatures below 45 degrees. If warm growing conditions such as a sunny window or greenhouse are not available, they may be kept cool and in good light for the winter. Although they may decline, they will normally recover and resume good growth when they are moved back outdoors in the spring.

Woody and perennial plants left in containers for the winter should be cold hardy and able to survive the worst winters when planted in normal sites.

Before freezing temperatures arrive, make sure the soil is moist. Planters attached to buildings with overhangs tend to dry and remain drier than those in more exposed locations. Mulch the top of the soil in these containers to help slow winter drying and provide surface insulation. Shredded bark or similar material, at a depth of 2 to 3 inches, can be attractive and provide winter protection.

Extra protection may be needed if temperatures are severe. If feasible, containers can be moved to a protected area. If moving is not practical, wrap the sides of the containers with home insulation material or in multiple layers of garden row covers. Bales or bags of straw placed around a container can also provide insulation for the container and the plant roots inside.

Certain hardy plants such as tree roses should always be brought into a protected site to ensure winter survival. While certain plants such as hybrid roses can be over-wintered without chilling, most other plants need a period of cool temperatures (between 36 and 42 degrees) to fulfill dormancy needs and insure good growth next year.

That means the holding area should remain cold. An inner corner close to a wall, or inside a cold garage or other building, may be satisfactory. Remember that roots of plants in smaller containers are at a higher risk of drying out and subsequent winter damage—particularly plants in thin-walled containers.

Even containers that don't contain plants need attention before winter arrives to extend their usefulness and prevent damage.

Small containers made of plastic, clay, or metal that were used for annual plantings should not be left outdoors for the winter. Plants in them should be uprooted and discarded once they have frozen. Remove the soil and store the containers in a protected building.

If the containers cannot be brought indoors, place them on their sides or upside down to prevent them from trapping water, which could freeze and cause the container to crack.

Soil from pots should be discarded or added to the compost pile. Pots should always be washed and sterilized with a mild bleach solution before reuse in the spring. Buy new potting media as well.

Wooden containers or barrels should have the soil left in them for the winter. Removal of soil will allow the wood to dry and often shrink. Such containers, especially barrels which are held together with metal bands, may fall apart if the weather is dry and too much shrinkage exists when they are empty. Wooden planters held together with nails or screws may also shrink, and the wood will crack. Keep the soil in wooden containers lightly moist during the winter, which will also benefit any hardy perennial plants left in them.

To learn more, visit the Extension website "Tips for Great Looking Container Gardens" at http://urbanext.illinois.edu/container/

Sweet potatoes are an important staple garden crop. Commonly grown in the southern part of the country, many northern gardeners are discovering they can also grow this tropical root crop using
environmental modification tools such as black plastic and row covers. Timely fall harvest and proper storage will help ensure a long-lasting supply for winter use.

The sweet potato is a member of the morning glory family, and it is a native American plant. It was noted by Columbus, and the Incas and Mayas grew sweet potatoes.

The sweet potato is one of the most nutritionally complete foods grown. Always a natural choice for meals during the holiday season, it is one of the few vegetables that serve dual purpose as either a vegetable dish or a dessert.

Sweet potatoes are a tender, heat-loving, long-season crop. They develop their swollen, fleshy roots toward summer's end and into the fall. Though roots can be harvested anytime after they begin to size, they can be left in the soil until the first light frost to maximize yield. Since they are a tropical plant, the first frost will kill most of the leaves. While frost will not harm the roots, they should be dug promptly before cold temperatures and cold, wet soils affect them.

Roots bruise easily, so care should be taken during digging. After harvest, any soil that clings to the roots should be carefully rubbed off. Let the roots dry on the soil surface for a few hours in the sun, but don't leave them outdoors overnight.

Sweet potatoes that are cut or bruised during digging should be separated from the others. They will exude a milky juice if damaged, but this does not seal the wound or protect against rot-producing bacteria and fungi. These potatoes should always be eaten first.

For best storage, after briefly sun-drying, sweet potatoes should be cured. The curing process helps heal light surface wounds and toughens the skin. Curing is done by placing them in a steady temperature of 80 to 85 degrees for a week to ten days. A small, heated outdoor shed or furnace room can serve this purpose. A loose covering of plastic can help maintain humidity during that period. If kept too warm at low humidity, the roots will shrivel and lose quality.

After curing, sweet potatoes can be winter-stored in crates or baskets in a location where temperatures stay 55 to 60 degrees, with high humidity of 80 to 85 percent to keep roots from shriveling.

Many basements approximate these conditions, though maintaining high humidity can be a challenge. Drape plastic bags or plastic sheets with holes in them to help hold up the humidity and increase storage time. Make sure any plastic wrapped around the potatoes has enough holes to provide good air exchange and prevent excessive moisture build-up.

Do not store sweet potatoes in outdoor pits, root cellars, or locations where temperatures drop below 50 degrees. These conditions will reduce storage life and promote development of decay.

One of the most common problems that may be evident when sweet potatoes are dug is a disease known as scurf.

Scurf is caused by a soil fungus that attacks the surface of the roots and causes them to appear irregularly colored, dark brown, or nearly black. Scurf does not make the sweet potatoes inedible, but it greatly reduces storage life.

Once scurf has been introduced into the garden, there is no chemical control; it will remain a problem for many years. Only by rotating into a new area can this disease be avoided. Never use transplants grown from sweet potatoes that contain scurf. If it is a problem, purchase only certified disease-free plants, and be careful accepting new planting slips from well-meaning neighbors. Avoid spreading scurf by thoroughly cleaning tools and equipment that were used in infected soil. If you do not have room for a new site, then rotate each year to a new spot in the current garden to help reduce build-up after it has been introduced.

For more information about sweet potatoes and other vegetable crops, check out the University of Illinois publication, "Vegetable Gardening in the Midwest," available from your local U of I Extension office. Or log on to the "Illinois Vegetable Garden Guide" at: http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/vegguide/.

A greenhouse can be an excellent addition to your home. With a greenhouse, you can rotate plants from your garden or home to the greenhouse and back again. This rotation keeps plants vigorous and in better condition.

If your funds are limited, consider a window greenhouse, which usually fits a standard window. A window greenhouse conveniently uses heat from your home, but the downside is that plant space is limited.

The lean-to greenhouse is a useful design that can be attached to the house over a door or near a doorway. The home supplies the water, electricity, and heat. You can even use a window to allow heat to enter the greenhouse directly from the home. Just make sure you have a secondary heat source as a backup when heat is not available.

If you have a lot of plants, you may need a large, free-standing greenhouse. But before building, check your local zoning ordinances to confirm whether a free-standing structure is permitted.

As for location, the greenhouse should be placed where there is maximum sunlight throughout the day, especially in the morning. Therefore, a lean-to style is best placed on the east, southeast, or south walls of the house. If your greenhouse gets summer sunlight during the morning and early afternoon, then shade from trees on the west is not a problem—the shade will help prevent heat buildup. And in the winter, when light is needed, tree leaves have dropped and afternoon sunlight can reach the greenhouse. Keep your greenhouse away from large buildings which can also shade it.

Land drainage is another important factor in site selection. Avoid standing water, and provide drains if natural drainage is not good.

Material selection may depend on the dollars you want to spend. Glass, fiberglass, or plastic film can be used to cover the greenhouse. Glass is very attractive. Lexane is a high-quality fiberglass material. Plastic film requires more attention to keep it in good repair.

So if summer's end dampens your spirits, give some thought to installing a new greenhouse.