goutal@decvax.UUCP (Kenneth G. "Kenn" Goutal) (02/25/84)
Last fall, just before it got really cold, we were abruptly beseiged by black-and-red beetles. Once it got cold, they died off. Now they're back. They tend to congregate on our porch, which is a kneewall and glass affair, totally uninsulated. They especially like the door to the house itself. I've seen no indications of what they like to eat. By the time they arrived last fall, there was no live vegetation. So, I don't know what they might beseige around the yard once it gets warm again. For the duration, they just mill around on the porch and occasionally sneak in when the door is open. They don't seem to fly much, but maybe they're just to cold for that. They tend to be about 1/2" long, mostly black, with a couple of broad crimson stripes diagonally across each side. Haven't stopped to look closely enough to see whether the stripes are *on* their wings or *under* them. I've heard a couple of reports from neighbors of the same things. All very sudden, last fall and just now; never seen 'em before ever. Anybody got any ideas what these buggers are? What they eat? (I.e. what flora they damage, or are they handy predators?) How to get rid of them? Oh; I live in southeastern New Hampshire. Apparently new or rare in this area, as I say. Perhaps some of you from other parts of the country recognize them? -- Kenn (decvax!goutal)
dhecker@sjuvax.UUCP (02/27/84)
We seem to have the same problem with red and black beetles. The
exterminator came and said they were Box Elder Bugs, whatever they
are, and said not to worry. He says that if you get rid of your
box elder bush, you'll get rid of the bugs. We don't know which bush
is the box elder bush, so we still have the bush, and still have the
bugs. If anybody else can help, I'd like to hear some suggestions too.
David Hecker
P.S. I just started dealing with this exterminator, and I'm not
sure how much I trust him. Please someone tell me if I
really do have to worry about these suckers. They're all
over the place.jgpo@iwu1c.UUCP (John, KA9MNK) (02/27/84)
a Sounds like you have an infestation of "box elder bugs," as we call 'em here in Illinois. Judging from the amount of information I've been able to find about them (nearly nothing) they are probably just a harmless nuisance. They seem to go in cycles; 1980 and 81 were very bad here, with tens of thousands of the critters crawling all over the exterior of the house; 82 was less bad, and we had almost none in 83. With the warm February we've been having, they are already showing up in force, so 84 mightt be a pretty bad year. I had never seen them when I lived in Chicago and its suburbs. My first experience with them was when I moved to a semi-rural area about 45 miles from the city. If anybody has any more information about these bugs, I'd sure like to hear it.
johns@hp-pcd.UUCP (03/12/84)
If they are really box elder bugs then you need not worry They are harmless. They like warm places in the fall, but I have never had any problems with them. John Sechrest hp-pcd!johns