What are these damn bugs?

[PapaBear]

They're pretty much shaped like lightning bugs, but are smaller. They have orange and black wings, but they never fly. They show up about twice a year, usually during temperature changes. In the past, they would always be around my front door, and front windows, and always near death. They crawl around slowly and usually die in about a day. This year, however, they have been all over my finished basement (not completely underground).

They're driving me nuts! I have a little table in the hall of the basement that has a lamp on it. Every night, there's one squirming for life under the lamp. I kill it, and throw it away, and within hours, there will be another one. I'm also finding them squirming around on the floors. I never see more than one or two at a time, but as soon as I get rid of them, they are replaced by new ones. What the hell kind of bug is this, and how do I get them to stay away?:furious:

[jennysmurf]

Post a picture of it. I'm sure somebody here knows what it is. Bugs are icky and I hate them. There, I said it.

[west milly Tom]

How about cleaning that dump up every once in a while. Throw out tha garbage, less bugs.

[romanwarhelmet]

have you tried a citronella candle?

[PapaBear]

Post a picture of it. I'm sure somebody here knows what it is. Bugs are icky and I hate them. There, I said it.
It's hard to get them on their feet so you can see what they look like. Plus, my digital camera is just about dead.

[PapaBear]

How about cleaning that dump up every once in a while. Throw out tha garbage, less bugs.
I keep a clean house, thank you!:furious:

[AngelAmy]

they know youre killing their brothers, you better watch out

[west milly Tom]

I keep a clean house, thank you!:furious:


I was only kidding no need for the flamey smiley. :)

[PapaBear]

I was only kidding no need for the flamey smiley. :)
First you say my house is dirty, and now you're calling me a flamer? Where's the board nemesis thread?


BTW... We get the house regularly sprayed for termites. I guess these things don't mind termite poison. One more thing... In the past, the bugs by the door and windows would be gone in a day or two. The ones that are in the basement this year have been hear for a few weeks.

[west milly Tom]

I think I know what bugs you're talking about actually. Is the tail end slightly striped?

Also I was really disappointed that nobody nemesised me. I think I posted that in the other thread already, but its worth saying twice.

[AngelAmy]

http://www.ozanimals.com/Insect/unknown/Lygaeidae%20family/sp2.html

was it the first one?

They don't have a name for it it looks like

[AngelAmy]

is it this one?

http://www.ozanimals.com/Insect/Milkweed-Bug/Spilostethus/sp.html

[PapaBear]

I think I know what bugs you're talking about actually. Is the tail end slightly striped?
I just got a good look at one on his feet. They are black with a thin edge of orange on the sides. There's an orange V shape near the end with the open end of the V facing the back of the bug, and a small orange dash toward the middle front.

[AngelAmy]

http://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project_ideas/Zoo_p027.shtml

[PapaBear]

is it this one?

http://www.ozanimals.com/Insect/Milkweed-Bug/Spilostethus/sp.html
It's similar, but there's too much orange in that one.

[tele7]

Where's Harvey Klinger when you need him?

http://assets.blogcatalog.com/avatar/usr/182168.gif

[AngelAmy]

this ?

http://www.ehow.com/how_2290234_rid-box-elder-bugs.html

[PapaBear]

this ?

http://www.ehow.com/how_2290234_rid-box-elder-bugs.html
WINNER!!! I just took some pics with a crappy camera.

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y229/snowmaninva66/DSCF0060.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y229/snowmaninva66/DSCF0061.jpg



Thank you Amy. You ROCK! I'm gonna read that link in detail. RF.net's "ask the oracle" rules!

[AngelAmy]

looks like that website tells you about them and how to get rid of them yay!

[PapaBear]

looks like that website tells you about them and how to get rid of them yay!
Looking at the site, it says they go for a tree that I don't have, but one of my neighbors might have. It just so happens, that I take Buddy (my dog) outside through the basement door. That's probably how they're getting in.


AMY RULES!

[jennysmurf]

You should give AngelAmy a "+" in the mod thread for figuring this out for you. Just sayin....

[PapaBear]

You should give AngelAmy a "+" in the mod thread for figuring this out for you. Just sayin....
One + coming right up!

[hammersavage]

You should give AngelAmy a "+" in the mod thread for figuring this out for you. Just sayin....

As long as you give a - as well

[jennysmurf]

As long as you give a - as well

Stop it.

[IrishAlkey]

They're pretty.

[PapaBear]

They're pretty.
I agree. But they are usually squirming around on their backs. The have ugly bug type undersides.

[SinA]

we used to get boxelder beetles all over the south side of our house in georgia. it was pretty sick sometimes, there would be thousands crawling all around and getting in between the screen and the window. oh yeah, and we had our house on the market then, which sucked.

you just gotta spray the shit out of them every couple days, and clean out the dead ones.

[sr71blackbird]

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[Kublakhan61]

Im taking the next bus outta here, Im gonna head for box elder, m.o.