There are a few other candidates but it sounds like Asian Lady bugs. They've been a real problem around here. Huge swarms congregate around buildings in the fall. They do bite and stink when disturbed and they get into everything. They have no natural predators or parasites and about the only spray that does much contains the same insecticide that's found in bed bug power. There is a 'deterrent spray' that's expensive and doesn't last too long. Chinking up all openings in a building is about the only way to deal with them and that's not feasible for many buildings. I've shop vacuumed them up by the gallon off the outside of the house and still been stuck with some inside all winter long.

They've been favourites among the organic set, and supply houses sell millions of them to suburban gardeners. Our NR folks had a release program in soybean areas further south. Good for aphid plagued soybean growers and suburban gardeners who can be all sorts of virtuous about using no poison. Bad for us! The dang things congregate by the 10's of millions, drift north on warm winds, run into colder air about here and all come down looking for a place to stay. It's been a mess every year till last when suspicion has it that NR stopped it's release program. They've also pretty well crowded out our native species of lady bugs. Those are the lucky ones and they don't bite.

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