garden insect identification
 

Hi,

Can anybody help me to identify these insects in my garden? They
usually hide near the wall, get out when it's warm and like to cluster
in large numbers. I don't know whether I should get rid of them. BTW,
I'm in SE Michigan and it's spring time now :)

http://picasaweb.google.com/rcas12/I...87941691744530
http://picasaweb.google.com/rcas12/I...87941691744546

Thanks.

garden insect identification
 

It look like a boxelder bug. See:

http://www.cirrusimage.com/bugs_box_elder.htm

Marilyn

"rcas12" wrote in message
ups.com...
Hi,

Can anybody help me to identify these insects in my garden? They
usually hide near the wall, get out when it's warm and like to cluster
in large numbers. I don't know whether I should get rid of them. BTW,
I'm in SE Michigan and it's spring time now :)

http://picasaweb.google.com/rcas12/I...87941691744530
http://picasaweb.google.com/rcas12/I...87941691744546

Thanks.

garden insect identification
 

Marilyn wrote:
It look like a boxelder bug. See:

http://www.cirrusimage.com/bugs_box_elder.htm

Marilyn

"rcas12" wrote in message
ups.com...
Hi,

Can anybody help me to identify these insects in my garden? They
usually hide near the wall, get out when it's warm and like to cluster
in large numbers. I don't know whether I should get rid of them. BTW,
I'm in SE Michigan and it's spring time now :)

http://picasaweb.google.com/rcas12/I...87941691744530
http://picasaweb.google.com/rcas12/I...87941691744546

Thanks.




Yep. Sure looks like an Eastern Boxelder Bug (Leptocoris trivittatus)
although there are some others that follow that general pattern of body
shape and black/red coloration such as the various milkweed bugs.

I don't recall ever seeing large congregations of boxelder bugs in the
early spring although I guess it could be a mass of them which
overwintered and which was which tempted out by the warm weather from
some sheltered location. Sometimes later in the year I've found masses
of them carpeting the ground -- really rather freakish looking.

--
John McGaw
[Knoxville, TN, USA]
http://johnmcgaw.com

garden insect identification
 

rcas12 wrote:
Hi,

Can anybody help me to identify these insects in my garden? They
usually hide near the wall, get out when it's warm and like to cluster
in large numbers. I don't know whether I should get rid of them. BTW,
I'm in SE Michigan and it's spring time now :)

http://picasaweb.google.com/rcas12/I...87941691744530
http://picasaweb.google.com/rcas12/I...87941691744546

Thanks.


Like your spunk in thinking you can get rid of them.. :)
As mentioned they are a box elder bugs coming from a nearby host tree
and the only sure way of not having the bugs is getting rid of the tree.
More of a nuisance than anything but when they show up inside by the
thousands you will learn to hate them with a passion. And they are not
harming the host tree.

Lar

garden insect identification
 

Definitely Box Elder Bugs. If you have any box elders or maples nearby,
you can count on them in spring and then again in fall. They don't hurt
the trees, and are simply a nuisance if found indoors. Population
numbers vary yearly depending mostly on weather conditions.

SC

John McGaw wrote:
Marilyn wrote:
It look like a boxelder bug. See:

http://www.cirrusimage.com/bugs_box_elder.htm

Marilyn

"rcas12" wrote in message
ups.com...
Hi,

Can anybody help me to identify these insects in my garden? They
usually hide near the wall, get out when it's warm and like to
cluster in large numbers. I don't know whether I should get rid
of them. BTW, I'm in SE Michigan and it's spring time now :)

http://picasaweb.google.com/rcas12/I...87941691744530

http://picasaweb.google.com/rcas12/I...87941691744546


Thanks.




Yep. Sure looks like an Eastern Boxelder Bug (Leptocoris trivittatus)
although there are some others that follow that general pattern of
body shape and black/red coloration such as the various milkweed
bugs.

I don't recall ever seeing large congregations of boxelder bugs in
the early spring although I guess it could be a mass of them which
overwintered and which was which tempted out by the warm weather from
some sheltered location. Sometimes later in the year I've found
masses of them carpeting the ground -- really rather freakish
looking.