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Thursday - February 16, 2006
Bugs and beetles
The Feb. 7 Fixit column on box elder bugs and Asian lady beetles referred to box elder bugs as beetles. Margot Monson, research fellow at the University of Minnesota's Department of Entomology, wrote to remind Fixit that box elder bugs technically aren't beetles.
"Box elder bugs are members of the family Rhopalidae or the scentless plant bugs, and are in the order true bugs, not beetles. Insects are organized into orders and the order Hemiptera includes many aquatic and terrestrial families, such as water striders, giant water bugs, stink bugs, aphids, cicadas, to name a few."
"The order Coleoptera, or beetles, has more representatives than any order of insects. The often-used term 'lady bug' is incorrect, for the many species in this family are really all beetles, including the Asian lady beetle. So, although all true bugs are insects, not all insects are true bugs."
Saturday - February 11, 2006
In the Fixit column on Page E1 Tuesday, box elder bugs were mistakenly referred to as beetles. They are correctly classified as bugs. Asian lady beetles, also mentioned in the column, are often called lady bugs -- but they are beetles, not bugs.
Tuesday - February 07, 2006
Fixit: Box elder pests make appearance - Karen Youso
Q How do you get rid of box elder bugs? I had a problem last fall
but they went away, and now they are back. Did they lay eggs that
hatched? These look like fully grown insects.
A No, they aren't new insects or hatchlings. The box elder bugs you're seeing now have been with you all winter.
Last fall, the black and orange beetles entered gaps, crevices and cavities in your home's walls and foundation to spend the winter.
Now, the warmer weather has prompted them to become active and seek the outdoors. But they get turned around and end up inside.
Box elder bugs are harmless, but they leave a stain and an unpleasant odor when crushed.
The best way to get rid of them is to simply pick up the bugs with a paper towel. You may need to use a vacuum cleaner for heavy infestations. (Try covering the open end of the vacuum hose with pantyhose to catch the insects and make disposal easier.)
To prevent a return engagement next year, keep the insects from entering in the fall. Seal as many holes, gaps and spaces as you can this summer. That includes around windows, doors, siding and where the foundation meets walls.
The beetles typically congregate on south- or west-facing walls, so you can also spray them with a solution of one-half cup of laundry detergent in a gallon of water. Use a hand sprayer or garden hose attachment. Although that only affects the bugs that are sprayed, it reduces the numbers that get into your house.
Asian lady beetles, too
You may also be seeing Asian lady beetles around your home now. They look like the common ladybug, but are bigger, bolder and have a noticeable bite. Like box elder bugs, they are simply coming out of dormancy. Control is the same, except that they apparently don't succumb to a detergent blast as do box elder beetles.
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