Box Elder Bugs (Boisea trivittata)
If you aren’t familiar with the box elder bug, you are among the minority. These true-bugs have black bodies rimmed in a bright fire-engine red. Something else you should know is that box elder bugs like the heat. In the cold, their metabolisms slow down making them experience life at a much slower pace, which is such a drag. Heat, on the other hand, gets their juices flowing and then the real fun happens. So when the weather is warm, they throw wild sun-worshipping parties for all their box elder bug friends.
These conspicuous gatherings start when one intrepid box elder bug finds a nice warm spot and emits a scent that summons others of its kind to the party, where they gather in a large reddish-black mass.
Though it can be alarming to see so many bugs together in one space, they are harmless insects with small brains containing just two main directives, eat and breed. Luckily they don’t eat or breed enough to threaten the existence of humans or the plants we love.
The real problems with box elder bugs happen in times of colder weather, like the fall, when they may move indoors (to your house) seeking warmth. People tend to become alarmed at these times since not many people relish the thoughts of sharing their warm homes with ugly, stinky bugs. In these cases, some control may be necessary.
It is important to understand a few key characteristics of the box elder bug in order to understand how to control them. First, they are attracted to and feed off of female box elder trees - the ones that produce seeds. Barring a qualified box elder tree, they will settle for other trees such as maples and ashes. If you are experiencing box elder bug infestations, it is a guarantee that there is a suitable host tree nearby.
Secondly, box elder bugs eat sap and tree juices. They don’t like or want any human juices, so you can breathe easy when you see them. They are a very minor pest of trees and have little or no impact on the health of their hosts. Horticulturally speaking, they don’t demand to be controlled.
Finally, box elder bugs grow from eggs which they lay on their host trees. Immature box elder bugs appear in the form of nymphs, which are similar in appearance to the adults, only smaller and lumpier. Their populations come in cycles and appear to be worst during hot and dry summers.
The best way to control box elder bugs is to remove any nearby host trees. If that is not an option, some degree of tolerance will be necessary. Since they don’t attack humans and do only little damage to trees, it is best to not use harsh pesticides to control them. In fact, pesticides will have only little success with these bugs. If you just can’t help yourself and you need to try something, insecticidal soap is effective and is less damaging to the environment.
To keep them out of your home, use caulk and insulation to plug up any possible entry points, like gaps around your windows. If they have moved into your home, they will congregate in warm, sunny areas, like windows. A vacuum cleaner is not only an effective box elder bug removal tool, but it is so much fun to suck those pesky bugs to their dooms!
Clifton Smith - Garden Manager
He eventually spotted his beautiful visage in a pool while out hunting and immediately fell madly in love with himself, wasting away while gazing at his reflection.
gardens. Tulips are relatively fuss-free plants if you are the average gardener. Tulips need a cold period in order to bloom, so plant them in the fall before temperatures dip below freezing. When planting place the bulbs close together in natural looking clumps which, when in bloom, look better than even rows and lines. Warm spring
weather brings large, cup-shaped flowers in every color of the rainbow and many shapes. Tulips will provide several years of decent blooms before the blooms lose their energy and only leaves grow. If you are the un-average gardener and only want the best and brightest flowers in your garden, you may choose to dig up your bulbs every year and plant new ones. I let them grow until they displeas
e me and then unceremoniously rip them out and give them to the garbage man. One final work of warning, tulips are candy for deer. If you live in an area with a large deer population, don’t even try tulips.
e saucer magnolia is the choice. Not nearly as large as its southern relatives, this magnolia is more of a large shrub, but it is easier to grow and will tolerate Utah’s alkaline soils. The first magnolia I saw in bloom was in Logan at an intersection I walked past often. I was barely starting my horti
culture education, but I couldn’t mistake its lovely flowers growing on bare branches for anything other than a magnolia. Few flowering trees have flowers that can rival that of the magnolia. It is a must for spring gardens.
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