Subject: bug party
Location: grand rapids michigan
June 24, 2014 3:54 pm
Found several piles like this today, sitting right out in the open. Any idea what they are? At the least they make for interesting photos.
Signature: dave
Hi Dave,
This is an aggregation of Eastern Boxelder Bugs, also known as Democrat Bugs. Your image depicts various instars or stages of growth in immature nymphs. Adults and nymphs will congregate together in very large masses. Eastern Boxelder Bugs are considered benign, though they have been know to enter homes to hibernate, making pests of themselves.
i live in southern CA and I have thousands of these bugs! What to do???
We suspect you do not have Eastern Boxelder Bugs, but there is a Western Boxelder Bug species and Red Shouldered Bugs are also common in the west. Though they can be a nuisance when they form aggregations, they are benign. We do not offer extermination advice.
help me 🙁