Author Topic: HELP (Read 1199 times)

Kirk_Allen · « **on:** March 25, 2004, 12:10:55 pm »

We are being invaded by Box Elder Bugs

And I mean invaded!

Any advice on how to get rid of these things?

They are swarmed all over the south side of the house and have now invaded the inside. I suck up a shop vac about 1/4 full each day for the last three days. They just seem to keep coming back.

Please help!

Thanks
Kirk

redpowerd · « **Reply #1 on:** March 25, 2004, 01:28:25 pm »

is that the only name known by you?
i have a few entomology books, cant find box elder bugs.

ifin they kill and mame box elders, ship em to me!

Kirk_Allen · « **Reply #2 on:** March 25, 2004, 02:13:09 pm »

Hemiptera: Rhopalidae, Leptocoris trivittatus

http://www.ivyhall.district96.k12.il.us/4th/kkhp/1insects/boxelder.html

They are everywhere

I think I am going to go nuts

Furby · « **Reply #3 on:** March 25, 2004, 03:03:31 pm »

Yep, I've got them too!
Just get use to it, atleast you don't have them AND ladybeetles! Man I took a shower yesterday and turned the little heater in the ceiling on and WOW! It didn't take long for the walls to start moving.

The best way I've heard of to get rid of them is to strip the siding off, put up a good vapor barrier and seal ALL the edges. Replace your siding and caulk REALLY good around windows and doors.

Kirk_Allen · « **Reply #4 on:** March 25, 2004, 03:44:40 pm »

Japanese ladybugs. WE HAVE THEM TOO!

This is the worst year we have ever had.

Im drrrowwwnninggg in bugs

Furby · « **Reply #5 on:** March 25, 2004, 03:46:43 pm »

Or showering!

DR_Buck · « **Reply #6 on:** March 25, 2004, 06:04:42 pm »

Your on the right track with the vacuum . Check out this link:

http://www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/pmg/hga6.pdf

Go to page number 158 (upper right hand corner).

Mark M · « **Reply #7 on:** March 25, 2004, 06:24:16 pm »

We have them buggers too. In the living room we have one of the "torch" lights that is about 6 foot tall. One of them bugs landed on the wall above the light and the stupid cat jumped up off the couch and landed on top of the light. Light, cat, and box elder bug all went flying.

Duane_Moore · « **Reply #8 on:** March 25, 2004, 09:09:54 pm »

:PI think I got a plan.... open up the door on the microwave, shut off lights in the house, when they all fly to micro. close door and punch start, outa do it. fail proof.

Duh---Duane

Patty · « **Reply #9 on:** March 26, 2004, 04:25:08 am »

The lady bugs hit our place last fall. It was unbelievable, you couldn't even go outdoors the swarms were so thick. In a minute they would be in your ears, eyes, nose, well you get the picture.

One of the back doors in our house wasn't sealed up yet and there were piles of these lady bugs several inches deep just inside the door. We have battled them all winter now, everytime the house warms up a bit a new batch comes out. For entertainment this winter, we'd pick them off the wall and throw them into the fireplace and watch them pop! (long winters in Iowa) I broke down and sprayed in one room earlier this week, and there must be a hundred dead ones in there. And now the boxelder bugs are coming !

I noticed yesterday they were all over the south side of the house where it was warm. I don't remember these massive bug swarms when I was a kid, so what's up?

OneWithWood · « **Reply #10 on:** March 26, 2004, 06:35:23 am »

Mark,
We have one of those torch-it-here lights also. The ladybugs have a habit of roasting themselves every now and then. Boy is that an ugly smell. the ladybugs have been swarming in our area for about five years now. You get used to them. My wife collects them and turns them loose in her greenhouse for aphid control.

Kirk_Allen · « **Reply #11 on:** March 26, 2004, 02:37:13 pm »

The war is on!

Took the shop vac to the south side of the house yesterday and twice today. I now have a 6 gal shop vac half full of Box Elder bugs.

Filled the vac with water and bleach and kilt them suckers.

After three rounds outside I am starting to see a decrease inside

I was up to 10 bugs every fifteen minutes in the kitchen. Now down to 2 for the last hour.

Of all the things I need to be doing and here I am talking about stupid bugs on the internet! I think I'm losing it.

Wes · « **Reply #12 on:** March 26, 2004, 06:10:39 pm »

I saw somewhere in an organic gardening book or something, that they were selling bags of ladybugs by the hundreds.

etat · « **Reply #13 on:** March 26, 2004, 06:22:42 pm »

I'm thinking chickens.

DanG · « **Reply #14 on:** March 26, 2004, 07:10:05 pm »

Boy, I'm glad we ain't got no bugs down here in the sunny South!

Furby · « **Reply #15 on:** March 26, 2004, 07:27:47 pm »

Ok here you go!
Link

Order all you want, or I'll make you a better deal. You pay for shipping and I'll GIVE you ALL mine!

Mark M · « **Reply #16 on:** March 26, 2004, 08:56:46 pm »

Maybe you could sell them bugs on eBay?

Furby · « **Reply #17 on:** March 27, 2004, 05:12:14 pm »

I didn't think of that! Thanks, I'll be a rich furby after all!!!

Skeeter · « **Reply #18 on:** March 29, 2004, 11:50:39 am »

Kirk,

I have no box elder trees, but 6 huge maples, which is another food source for them.

To kill them dead in less than 30 seconds ...try this.

Take a small *hudson* or garden sprayer, put in some liquid dish soap ( a cap full or three ) and fill the bulk of the sprayer with warm water.

This concoxtion literally suffocated them to death.

What its doing is coating their nostrils, located in the butt end,
with the soapy water so they cannot breate.

Try it....it works.....you may have to spray them a second time though....but it will kill em

I must have made several dozen gallons of this last summer/fall and I have yet to see one here this year.

Skeeter

Furby · « **Reply #19 on:** March 30, 2004, 09:18:10 am »

Well I'll be DanG!
I went out this morning with a little bottle of that stuff and it DOES work.

Note: Not a good idea to spray small amounts at the mating groups (or what ever they are), they get a little pithed and start swarming.

A heavy spray or stream works better for those groups.

Thanks Skeeter!
Now, any tricks for getting thousands of dead bugs off the house? :-/

Skeeter · « **Reply #20 on:** March 30, 2004, 12:47:57 pm »

Furby....Glad it worked for ya !

Did ya try it on them ladybugs ?

Even though they are pesky, they are a beneficial bug that kills and eats tons of them aphids.

I recommend not spraying them if at all possible......

Skeeter

Furby · « **Reply #21 on:** March 30, 2004, 01:39:29 pm »

Nope, not the ladybugs.............YET.

I only did the bugs on the OUTSIDE of the house (it would have been a REAL mess otherwise

), only the box elder bugs were out this morning. The ladybugs tend to stay inside most of the time.

Skeeter · « **Reply #22 on:** March 30, 2004, 01:46:57 pm »

Furby,

I forgot to mention that to get rid of them dead critters on the sides of the house it really quite simple....

....just wait for a good wind or rain storm....viola !!

...all gone !

See ya...

Skeeter

Furby · « **Reply #23 on:** March 30, 2004, 01:56:05 pm »

Yeah, that's what I was going to do!

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Author Topic: HELP (Read 1199 times)

Kirk_Allen

Kirk_Allen

Kirk_Allen

Kirk_Allen