What are these, and are they going to eat my house? - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

ramonajim · #1 03-07-2009, 11:58 AM

Darling Wife found a likely answer while I am typing this (Box Elder Bugs) and info indicating they're annoying, harmless, and dang near impossible to get rid of.

What say the wise and knowledgeable folk here?

Botnst · #2 03-07-2009, 11:59 AM

Dunno nuttin'.

Seen the bugs, never seen them eat a house.

waybomb · #3 03-07-2009, 11:59 AM

Get a bottle of deathane and start spraying.........

kerry · #4 03-07-2009, 12:15 PM

Yep, box elder bugs. Friendly little critters. They've liked the northwest corner of my porch for about 15 years. I'm happy to share my abode with them. My daughter doesn't like them.

Botnst · #5 03-07-2009, 12:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by waybomb

Get a bottle of deathane and start spraying.........

Deathane!

Eskimo · #6 03-07-2009, 01:35 PM

Bit of trivia: in my childhood in Nebraska, those were commonly called "Democrats".

TMAllison · #7 03-07-2009, 02:52 PM

Gpa, (entomologist) says they are hemitra (sp) family. Sap sucking insects looking to get out of the cold. Won't hurt you or the house.

OldPokey · #8 03-07-2009, 06:25 PM

Dem Yaller-bellied sap-suckers!

LUVMBDiesels · #9 03-07-2009, 06:58 PM

I tolerated them until they found ways to get into the house.

I used double strength Ortho outdoor insect killer forget the exact one, but it is the one that kills spiders). Took them right down. I just sprayed near where they were getting in. I used a hand pump sprayer.

I hated doing it as they are friendly little guys who love to land on your hand and say "Hi"
They certainly do love to swarm in large numbers.

mgburg · #10 03-08-2009, 03:23 PM

Them BoxElder Bugs (BEB) are nature's way of SHOWING YOU where you abode is leaking heat or has very poor insulation...

They'll congregate in corners of rooms where there is very little air movement (hence, you'll generally find them near the ceiling and in all the corners ... but like you photo shows, their on a wall on the outside of the house, you either have no insulation at that spot behind the logs or the sun was just blocked and they haven't moved from that spot to the next warmest one...

They are heat-seeking little missles...they'll fly right at your face if they sence you in the room...dumb as a flying pebble, and they'll head right for you nose and/or mouth if it's particularly cool...

We have a ShopVac and a can of RAID Wasp Killer...just before the ShopVac winds completely down after a good BEB-suck...I'll squirt a snort of RAID into the hose...then they're dead and I don't have to worry 'bout them climbing out and back into the room again...

BTW, where I'm at, we also have, at the same time, the little Asian Beetles (ABs)...so when the see the BEBs, the ABs are in the mix...and the ABs are the ones that stink...it almost makes the smell of the RAID a better fragrance...notice that I said "almost?"

It's like choosing the better smelling of either cow or pig "squirt" - as if that's a choice!!!