Subject: Wood boring bug?
Geographic location of the bug: Berlin Center Ohio
Date: 07/24/2019
Time: 11:07 PM EDT
Your letter to the bugman: My friend found these on her grandchildren’s swing set wooden post. She wants to know what they are? And if they are poisonous or a danger to her grandchildren. I’ve search every where and can not find anything. She told me that they don’t fly or jump because one of her grandchildren sprayed them with a water gun and they crawled away extremely fast.
How you want your letter signed: MissMiss91
Dear MissMiss91,
These are benign Barklice, and they will not harm your friend’s grandchildren, nor will they destroy the swing set as they are not wood boring insects. They are often found on the bark of old trees and on old unpainted fences and other wooden structures where they feed on lichens. Barklice are commonly called Tree Cattle.