Beatle of some sort?
Location: San Antonio, Tx
January 23, 2012 7:55 pm
I sell wood for fireplaces, bbqs, etc. Recently I split some mesquite to let dry out and there are a million of these guys everywhere. I just leave them be not knowing what they are. They seem harmless. They run extremely slow and sometimes will just sit still when I move the wood pile around like they are trying to blend in. just wondering what they could be as I have a 2 yr old curious little boy and don’t want him harmed in anyway if they are dangerous.
Signature: Thank you for your input, Mike
Hi Mike,
You have Mesquite Borers, Placosternus difficilis, a native species that BugGuide reports from Arizona and Texas. Mesquite Borers are Longhorned Borer Beetles in the family Cerambycidae. The larvae are wood borers. You should advise your customers to keep their firewood outside until they are ready to use it or they might find their homes invaded during an emergence of the adults from the wood. Often warm indoor temperatures trigger an emergence in the home. Since this is a native species, transporting the firewood shouldn’t be a problem, but with many invasive, exotic borer insects showing up in North America, people are warned about transporting firewood as this helps to spread an invasion..
We just found one of these in our home on Ohio!! How is that? We have NO mesquite trees. Please help.
Because of your location, we believe you encountered either a Locust Borer or a Hickory Borer, and either might have emerged from firewood. The two related species look very similar, but Locust Borers are active in the fall while Hickory Borers are active in the spring. All bets on activity are off when the normal life cycle is affected by bringing firewood indoors, causing the adults to emerge early.
How do you stop this borer they have already killed one mesquite tree on our property and I have noticed holes in other mesquite trees we have.
We do not provide extermination advice.
BORACARE
Are these bugs Chagas or kissing bugs?
No. Kissing Bugs are True Bugs in the genus Triatoma.
Do they pose any danger to homes structures like termites do?