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BOX ELDER BUGS SWARM THE AREA
Friday, September 21st, 2007 -- 10:04 am
Posted by Riley Hebert-News Director
Move over Asian Lady Beetle, there’s another bothersome bug congregating on houses everywhere. The Box Elder bug is about ¾ of an inch long, it’s primarily black, but has reddish-orange wings and markings.
Quite frankly, they’re all over the place in central Wisconsin.
"The critter feeds on the both the seeds of Silver Maple and Box Elder. It is a native insect that is rather distasteful to birds and other things," explains Phillip Pellitteri, a bug expert with the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Parts of the state are experiencing more box elder bugs than in years past because of the relatively dry summers we’ve had. That dryness prevents a certain fungus that controls the bug naturally.
The good news: the bug is harmless.
"The biggest problem is in the Fall of the year they look for protected sites to overwinter in. If you give them an opportunity, they'll work their way under the siding," Pellitteri says.
"Every time you get a warm day (in winter), a couple will wake up and walk through the house and create a panic."
Pellitteri says a simple soapy water mixture should kill the bugs on contact. You can also use insecticides, such as permethrin, cyfluthrin or esfenvalerate.
On the Web:
Box Elder Bug Info (.pdf)
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