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FishnPhil

Bug ID

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I don't know if they're actually related to "stink bugs", but they do stink when crushed. I don't think any fish would eat one a second time, if you're thinking of mimicking one.

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It took me 5 years to get control of those things. Come fall they would be clumped on the back of my house by the thousands. They don't harm a thing but what a nuisance they are. As far as I know they don't stink when crushed, and I've crushed a lot of them.

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I don't know if they're actually related to "stink bugs", but they do stink when crushed. I don't think any fish would eat one a second time, if you're thinking of mimicking one.

I'm not sure about that. They do eat actual stink bugs.

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I don't know if they're actually related to "stink bugs", but they do stink when crushed.

I'm not sure about that. They do eat actual stink bugs.

 

From flytire's link above ...

"They first feed on fallen boxelder seeds and later move to the female boxelder trees or maple trees where they eat newly developing leaves. Occasionally, boxelder bugs will feed on the fruits of plum and apple trees."

They don't seem to be carnivorous (insectivores?), in any of the research I've found.

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I've found them hanging around my door and windows in the fall, and sometimes in my house. I've never noticed any odor when I've killed them. Stink bugs on the other hand, I haven't notice the smell if I step on them outside. If I find them in the house, I usually flush them down the toilet. Something like a lightning bug pattern should work for trout and pan fish.

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Very cool, thank you for the help identifying!!

 

I don't know if fish will eat them and am not looking to imitate them haha, but they are freaking everywhere around my place and I couldn't figure out what they were.

 

They do not stink when squished, do look like lightening bugs (though we don't have those in my area of Colorado), and are annoying indeed.

 

I also do not know of any box elder trees in my area. Has me wondering where they came from. Wood siding on my house maybe?

 

 

About the smell, I did find this online, though have not experience it when I crush them myself: "When crushed or handled roughly, boxelder bugs can also produce a strong, disagreeable odor."

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I don't know if they're actually related to "stink bugs", but they do stink when crushed.

I'm not sure about that. They do eat actual stink bugs.

 

From flytire's link above ...

"They first feed on fallen boxelder seeds and later move to the female boxelder trees or maple trees where they eat newly developing leaves. Occasionally, boxelder bugs will feed on the fruits of plum and apple trees."

They don't seem to be carnivorous (insectivores?), in any of the research I've found.

 

I meant fish eat actual stink bugs. There was one guy, I think on this forum, who was feeding them to the sunfish in his pond every day.

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"I meant fish eat actual stink bugs."

ohmy.png

 

laugh.png

 

THAT makes more sense !!!

 

I suppose it's like birds. We have suet in the feeders that is heavily laced with hot pepper. Keeps the squirrels off it, but the birds don't even notice.

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Very cool, thank you for the help identifying!!

 

I don't know if fish will eat them and am not looking to imitate them haha, but they are freaking everywhere around my place and I couldn't figure out what they were.

 

They do not stink when squished, do look like lightening bugs (though we don't have those in my area of Colorado), and are annoying indeed.

 

I also do not know of any box elder trees in my area. Has me wondering where they came from. Wood siding on my house maybe?

 

 

About the smell, I did find this online, though have not experience it when I crush them myself: "When crushed or handled roughly, boxelder bugs can also produce a strong, disagreeable odor."[/size]

They clump together and hang out on the sunny side of the house. They don't eat wood so they are not living in your siding. They live in trees, maples trees as well as box elder trees. I had them in maple trees in my yard. They will climb down the tree in the morning and walk across your yard and gather on the warm siding of your house. As your siding gets less warm in the evening they will walk back to their home tree and climb back up it till the next day. They are harmless to the house and the tree but are a severe nuisance.

 

I literally had them by the thousands maybe even 10's of thousands when I first moved into my house. There is no way to erradicate them barring removal of their home tree. With perseverance, dedication and the will to you can control them. I sprayed the crap out of them every week in the fall. First you have to track them. You will see them walking back and forth to their home tree. Once the tree is identified, keep an eye out for the babies. They start out as little tiny red micro dots. They are small but easily seen because of their numbers. Spray spray spray the base and trunk of the tree and the surrounding yard about 5 feet in diameter around the base of the tree. Do this every week and you can keep the population down to a few dozen on the house. Fortunately the tree blew down and was removed so now I'm pretty much free of them.

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Thank you for the info poopdeck. I might end up going down that route eventually. For now, I will try to figure out where they live and go from there. Also, there is an arborist living next door who I will hit up with this information smile.png

 

I do not spray anything (not that I care if anyone else does), am working on organic farming practices at my place.

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i guess you better learn to like them then because they will come back tenfold next year. The first fall in my current house they were everywhere. Everytime you opened the door some would fly in. Others found their way in all on their own. My wife was freaking out over them and I was telling her to calm down, they will all be dead in a month when winter set in. The following fall they returned more robust and in greater numbers and so began a five year battle with the box elder bugs my kids referred to as holloween bugs because that's when they would make their appearance each year.

 

At first I tried all the eco friendly things I heard of because I liked the trees, my kids were young and frolicked in the lawn and I had a dog who also enjoyed the yard. Eco friendly did not one thing to them and I once again relied on winter. My third year in the home the bugs were completely off the hook and they started expanding to my neighbors homes. The tree was in my yard not my neighbors so now I'm feeling pretty responsible for my neighbors misery as well as my own.

 

I began using bug posion and it knocked them back on their heels but still did not eradicate them. I was able to get the upper hand where every week i sprayed the base of the tree and the foundation of the house but I no longer sprayed the yard. This kept their population in check at a few hundred which I was happy with. I did think about Guinea fowl but I never saw any kind of bird eating them. This went on for a few years and spraying became routine lawn maintenance just like cutting the grass until the tree blew over and I had it cut up and carried away. They did try to Set up shop in another tree on my property but I was tuned in to their tactics and went on full offense stopping their plan of domination before they were able to get a foothold.

 

My experience is you can try all the friendly methods you want and they will crush you and your wife and kids will both laugh and cuss you at the same time. These are prolific, robust and tough little SOB's that will have you at your wits end every October. Good luck, I hope your methods work but Be sure to have a plan B.

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We have them and have found dish soap mixed in water will kill them on contact, but they hide in every little crevice and you have to actually spray the solution directly on them. Can get messy, especially if they congregate around a glass patio door.

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