We have these interesting looking beetle-type of bug currently sunning themselves on the side of my house. They have been out in droves for the last couple of days. They are black with red stripes with  wings (and fly well), and are about as dumb as the earwigs are. They have a thin shell. We would like to know what they are, where they come from, and how to get rid of them. We are environmentally conscious and would like to do this as safely as possible as we have dogs and kids in the yard. Can you help?

Sounds like box elder bugs. These bugs eat the fallen blossoms from certain trees. They don't damage the trees, so we consider them a pest just because they are present in such large numbers. You can spray the outside of the house with Demon WP . It is a low-toxicity product and works very well.