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What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination

Eastern Boxelder Bug

Unknown bug in Saline Michigan during warm fall days
November 9, 2009
Hi Bugman, many of these bugs cover my black front door which faces south. They have managed to slip through the bottom of the door into the house where they tend to creep along the floor more than fly around. It has been very warm here in Michigan (above 50 F and sunnier than usual.
Curious, Lorraine
Saline, Michigan USA

Eastern Boxelder Bug

Eastern Boxelder Bug

Dear Lorraine,
Eastern Boxelder Bugs create tremendous aggregations that may contain thousands of individuals.  They are not considered a harmful insect, though their presence is often an annoyance when they try to enter homes in great numbers in the autumn to escape the winter chill.

Posted 10 November 2009 § ‡ Comments (0) °

Mating Eastern Boxelder Bugs

Bug love (Boxelder style)
July 26, 2009
I belive these to be, Boisea trivitata. Having a little fun on my screen. Just outside, is a boxelder tree, where there are thousands more. Can’t tell which is male, and which is female. Can you help?
Terry
Mound, MN

Mating Boxelder Bugs

Mating Boxelder Bugs

Hi Terry,
Thanks for sending us your photo of mating Eastern Boxelder Bugs.  We almost never get submissions from people who know what they are, but rather they want the large congregations of insects in their yards identified.  We are especially fond of some of the alternative names for Eastern Boxelder Bugs, including Democrat Bug, Populist Bug, Politician Bug.  According to BugGuide:  “Apparently these political terms are primarily used in the Central Plains states as I’ve seen references to such from KAN, NEB, & IOWA. “

Posted 26 July 2009 § ‡ Comments (1) ° Tagged:

Boxelder Bugs

Swarm of red/black insects
June 13, 2009
Swarm of red/black insects
• Your letter to the bugman (please provide as much narrative and information as possible)    I have what I would describe as a swarm of red and black insects on the side of my house and my neighbor’s house. There are two distinct looking types. One is larger and more black than red while the other is smaller and is more red than black, and there are tinyred ones I can only assume are babies everywhere.
Nathan Elsener
North Central West Virginia

Boxelder Bug Aggregation

Boxelder Bug Aggregation

Hi Nathan,
Boxelder Bugs like the ones in your photo are one of our most frequently requested identifications.  The Boxelder Bugs frequently form large aggregations of nymphs and adults.  Other than being a nuisance, the Boxelder Bugs are benign.

Posted 14 July 2009 § ‡ Comments (1) °
What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination

Mating Red Shouldered Bugs

Red and black shelled bug
Thu, Mar 19, 2009 at 2:11 PM
We live in San Antonio, Texas. Since early March, we have been noticing these strange bugs crawling around near our back porch and in our back garden. They’ve been hanging out on our nascent basil bush, though they don’t seem to have actually nibbled a the basil yet. (Perhaps they don’t like pesto?) Does anyone know what these pesky creatures might be called? What environmentally responsible steps can we take to remove them from our premises?
Aaron
San Antonio, Texas

Red Shouldered Bugs

Red Shouldered Bugs

Dear Aaron,
The most puzzling aspect of your photo of mating Red Shouldered Bugs, Jadera haematoloma, is that the female does not appear to have fully developed wings. This indicates that she is still an immature nymph. Red Shouldered Bugs may be a nuisance when they appear in large aggregations, but they will not harm the plants in your garden. According to BugGuide, it is found in: “yards and gardens, often in large aggregations to feed on seeds that have dropped to the ground from trees overhead ” and “”J. haematoloma feeds on a variety of plants but prefers balloonvine (Cardiospermum spp.; Sapindaceae) which grows in southern Florida. Additional hosts include other Sapindaceae, Ficus spp. (Moraceae) and Althaea spp. (Malvaceae). In some areas the bugs are observed feeding so often on goldenrain tree seeds ( Koelreuteria spp.; Sapindaceae), that they are referred to as ‘goldenrain tree bugs’.” – Frank Mead and Thomas Fasulo, University of Florida .” The species is also known as the Golden Rain Tree Bug because of its association with that plant. We do not offer extermination advice, especially with regards to benign species. We will contact Eric Eaton to see if he has an opinion on the underage female involved in mating activity.

Update: Fri, 20 Mar 2009 10:39:27 -0700 (PDT)
Hi, Daniel:
Many members of the “true bugs” suborder Heteroptera exhibit what scientists call “polymorphism” when it comes to wing growth.  Some individuals or populations will have shortened or otherwise non-functional wings while others will be fully-winged.  I’ve never heard of Jadera displaying that phenomenon, but I’m also not surprised by it.
Eric
P.S.  Did I tell you I’m blogging now?  Feel free to link to anything there that you might find useful, or even reprint it on WTB:
http://bugeric.blogspot.com

Posted 20 March 2009 § ‡ Comments (1) ° Tagged:

Democrat Bug Aggregation (AKA Boxelder Bugs)

Red and black large group of beetles?
Fri, Oct 24, 2008 at 9:30 PM
Hello,
As the weather has gotten colder over the past few weeks I started to notice two or three of these guys warming themselves in the sun on my front door. As time went on, more and more showed up, and now as many as 15 or 20 will show up on the front of my house.
A few days ago I was raking leaves in my backyard and came upon this rock with a huge group of them huddled together. Further investigation found other groups of them on other nearby rocks, trees, and piles of dead leaves. What are they?
I live in northern KY, just south of Cincinnati Ohio. They didn’t seem to appear (I didn’t notice them anyway) until the first part of September this year.
Gratefully
KY, USA

Democrat Bug Aggregation

Democrat Bug Aggregation

Hi Kentucky,
These are not beetles. Beetles go through complete metamorphosis so the larvae look nothing like the adult. These are Eastern Boxelder Bugs, Boisea trivittata, and since they have incomplete metamorphosis, the nymphs resemble the adults, but without the wings. Boxelder Bugs sometimes form large aggregations, and they are often noticed in the fall as cold weather starts to set in because they are known to seek shelter indoors. They will also emerge on warm sunny days in areas with southern exposures. Though they are associated with boxelder and maple trees, they really don’t do any harm to the trees since the nymphs feed on the juices of the seeds. According to BugGuide, they are also called: “Democrat Bug, Populist Bug, Politician Bug. Apparently these political terms are primarily used in the Central Plains states as I’ve seen references to such from KAN, NEB, & IOWA. (MQ) .” Though your photo does not show quite as many individuals as those gathering at a Barack Obama rally, they are nonetheless quite numerous. Your photo is a wonderful example of the great new feature on our website since our recent site migration. By clicking on the small image, you will see a much larger version open in a new window.

Posted 25 October 2008 § ‡ Comments (0) ° Tagged:

Mating Boxelder Bugs

Boxelder bugs.
Hi folks!
Two pictures, one of Boxelder Bugs (Boisea trivittata) mating for your Bug love page, and one of a box elder nymph. Sending you the full sized pics so you may crop as needed. They’re also called Garage Bugs, and oddly enough, these bugs were on my garage door!
Cheryl-Anne Miller

Hi Cheryl-Anne,
Thanks for contributing to our Boxelder Bug archive.

Comment: (07/02/2008) THANK YOU..
hahah im so glad you guys answered the boxelder bug question 9078787697867657956 times. i spent all day trying to figure out what they were to see if they were harmful and your site is the only one that helped me.
p.s. im also glad you don’t offer extermination advice. i love bugs. keep up the good work guys.

Posted 05 July 2008 § ‡ Comments (0) ° Tagged:

Mating Boxelder Bugs

Can you identify these?
They showed up in our neighborhood about 4 years ago, and are prolific breeders. Their young resemble “large” aphids with orange-ish red abdomens. The adults have the same orange/red abdomen that is exposed when they take flight. In the picture attached, I believe the smaller one (on the left) is the male mating with a female. Your help would be greatly appreciated.
Ron

Hi Ron,
The Boxelder Bug, Boisea trivittata, is one of our most frequent query subjects due to the mass aggregations they form. Though they may be a nuisance when they appear in large numbers, they are not harmful to you or your home. Your mating couple is a nice addition to our site.

Posted 25 May 2008 § ‡ Comments (0) ° Tagged:

Bug of the Month: November 2006 – Boxelder Bug

Bug on House — Please Help Identify
Bugs like the attached are all over my house. They can fly. Please help me identify them.
Thank you!

This is an Eastern Boxelder Bug, Boisea trivittata. We get so many identification requests in the fall that we have decided to make it the bug of the month for November. Boxelder Bugs are True Bugs with incomplete metamorphosis. The immature nymphs are wingless replicas of the adults, but appear more red as the wings are not covering the coloration on the abdomen. Boxelder Bugs are noteworthy in that they form large aggregations of nymphs and adults, and they seek shelter indoors as the weather cools. Turn to BugGuide for additional information. We have numerous advertisers who guarantee to exterminate them, but there are also several home remedies that have reported success rates.

Soap against Boxelder Bugs
(02/03/2005) A WAY TO ELIMINATE BOX ELDER
HELLO, I AM FROM NEW YORK STATE AND WE HAVE A VERY SERIOUS PROBLEM WITH THE BOX ELDER BEETLES. THEY ARE ALL OVER OUR TREES, OUR POOL DECK AND OUR HOME. OUR NEIGHBOR ONE DAY WAS DOING HER LAUNDRY AND SAW ONE IN THE BASEMENT SO SHE SPRAYED IT WITH A DETERGENT SOLUTION SHE HAD IN A BOTTLE. THE BEETLE DIED IN NO TIME. AFTER THAT WE WOULD FILL UP OUR 2 GALLON SPRAYERS AND PUT A CAP OR TWO OF LAUNDRY SOAP IN IT AND SPRAY THESE BEETLES. THEY DO DIE FROM THIS SOLUTION. THIS IS A CHEAP SOLUTION AND A NON TOXIC SOLUTION.
DEBBIE FENCLAU

Posted 30 October 2006 § ‡ Comments (0) ° Tagged:

Democrat Bugs

Box Elder Bugs
How did BE bugs also become called Democrat Bugs?
Steve Paige
Topeka, KS

Sadly, Steve, we don’t know the true origin of the common name Democrat Bug. We can only surmise that it has something to do with the aggregations which to some people look like the Democratic National Convention.

Posted 05 May 2005 § ‡ Comments (0) °

Box Elder Bugs

Hi Bugman,
I live in a very cold winter climate, where usually seeing bugs this time of year is unusual..I have found several bugs in my home, since about October or so, that are beetle-like with strange red stripes on the back. It appears to have wings, as when I kill them, the wings come up from the body. You can’t really see the wings like on other bugs, though, unless you are looking for them. Can you help? I had a ghastly thought at first that it could be a cockroach, but, I am pretty confident it is not. Being they are alive now, they must be coming from somewhere inside my home. In the event you can identify from my flimsy description, could you also clue me in on what to do to get rid of them and where to look for them?
Thank you,
Melissa

Dear Melissa,
I believe you have Box Elder Bugs which sometimes hibernate, aggregating in huge numbers, inside homes. They are seeking protection and could be somewhere in the basement or some dark closet, probably somewhere near the point of entry. They may have come in through a crack or a window when it was just beginning to get cooler. Sorry I don’t have any extermination advice. Try checking with your local exterminator. Here is a photo sent in by Tom last year.

Democrat Bug!
I’ve been hearing about a "politician bug". My searches brought up every devious politician in history and I couldn’t find anything out about a "real" bug. I write musical plays and just completed one that translates the world of butterflies into a clown environment. My next musical will be about lovebugs, placing the lovebugs in a southern town where the bugs are a gang who shows up twice a year and is intimated by the people living there, even though they’re supposed to be the pests. The idea of writing a musical portraying bugs as politicians intrigues me, with all the characteristics and instincts of this bug, perhaps set in the White House, and especially since this bug is nicknamed after politicians. Have you heard of this?
Dawn Labuy-brockett

Hi Dawn,
I was intrigued with your latest message, and couldn’t believe the Asian Longhorned Beetle would go by such a common name. Here is a site which attributes the name Democrat Bug to the Box Elder Bug. No information on the origin of the name though.

Thanks so much for the help! I got thrown off with a site named a picture of an Asian Longhorned Beetle "Democrat". It was indeed the boxelder I was looking for. I had a feeling at the beginning that boxelder was the bug, but I got misled. You are right!!! The bugman rules!
It’s been a pleasure…
Dawn

Posted 15 October 2003 § ‡ Comments (0) °

Box Elder Bugs

These bugs are all over my workshop/shed. They have red eyes and fly. There are literally thousands of them. They mass in giant clumps. What are they, I’ve never seen them before.
Thanks.

We usually get group portraits of Box Elder Bugs (Leptocoris trivittatus)

Posted 14 August 2003 § ‡ Comments (0) °

Thousands of Yucky Bugs!!!

yucky bugs
Surely you can help!?!
There are about 2000 of these living on my tree. Half of them seem to have just "hatched", half are mature. They don’t appear to be harming anything, just hanging out, migrating from the tree to the lawn and back again . Do you know what they are? Cause for concern?
Don and Elke (and Anna now too)

Dear Don, Elke and Anna
Your insect is a box elder bug (Leptocoris trivittatus) which is known to live in colonies of both adults which have wings and the nymph stage which is wingless. We at What’s That Bug? have gotten questions about this garden pest in the past. Here is an excerpt from a recent reply which should also apply to your situation.
On http://www.pma.edmonton.ab.ca it says, "When present in large enough numbers Box Elder Bugs can do damage to Manitoba Maple trees. Most people call us in the fall because they are curious about the large numbers on the walls of their houses or concerned about the numbers that are getting in the houses. Washing them off the walls of the house with a blast of cold water from a hose may help. The only way to ensure that they do not get inside the house is to fill in all cracks where they could be getting in, a rather daunting and expensive task."

Posted 01 October 2002 § ‡ Comments (0) °

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