312 Washington St, Peekskill, NY 10566
Phone 800-339-0351 Fax 914-737-8369

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Westchester, Putnam, Dutchess, Orange, Bronx & Fairfield
 Counties

NY- 03571                                                                                            CT- B1575
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(800)339-0351


The western conifer seed bug has become a nuisance pest in many Rhode Island homes. The bug has the habit of entering buildings at the onset of cold weather in the late summer or early fall as it seeks a protected site to spend the winter. These bugs do not bite or sting, nor do they cause damage to the home. They will, however, give off a pungent odor if you handle them. They also may make a buzzing sound when flying.

History:

The range of the western conifer seed bug has been expanding. Confined to the Western coast of the United States until the 1960s, this insect began to move east rapidly in recent decades. By 1990 the insect had reached western New York, and by 1996 had arrived in Rhode Island.

Description:

The western conifer seed bug belongs to the family Coreidae, commonly called leaf-footed bugs, and like many members of this family, it has a flattened, leaf-like expansion on the hind legs. The adult is about 3/4 inch (16-20 mm) in length and is a dull brownish color. There is a faint white zigzag stripe across the midpoint of its upper surface. When the insect takes flight, it lifts the wings to reveal bright yellowish-orange areas on its back. The leaf-footed bugs use piercing-sucking mouthparts to pierce the scales of conifer seeds and suck out the seed pulp. The list of host plants includes white pine, red pine, Scots pine, Austrian pine, mugo pine, white spruce, Douglas fir and hemlock. When these trees are grown near homes, the bugs may seek the nearby buildings as an overwintering site.

Western conifer seed bug (R.A. Casagrande)

 

Life Cycle:

In spring these bugs move outdoors to nearby coniferous trees. The bugs feed on the developing seeds and early flowers of different species of conifers. Females are reported to lay rows of eggs on needles of the host trees, which hatch in about 10 days. Young nymphs then begin to feed on tender cone scales and sometimes the needles. The nymphs are orange and brown, becoming reddish-brown to brown as they develop. Nymphs pass through five stages and reach adulthood by late August. Adults feed on ripening seed until they seek overwintering quarters.

Control:

If these bugs are a problem in your area, you may screen attic or wall vents, chimneys and fireplaces to mechanically block their points of entry. Eliminate or caulk gaps around door and window frames and tighten up loose fitting screens, windows or doors. There are no pesticides specifically registered for control of the western conifer seed bug either indoors or out. Use a vacuum to remove these insects from the home.

 

Adapted from the Cornell Cooperative Extension and the URI Department of Plant Sciences, 1999

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Boxelder Bug
 Boisea trivittata (Say); Family: Rhopalidae
 Boxelder bug (adult); actual size 1/2 inch long. Photo by Link Elmore, from Bugwood.org
 Injury
 The boxelder bug may be a pest of outdoor trees as well as a household nuisance. It is the latter that is of most
concern to homeowners. The bugs overwinter as adults and nymphs in protected dry places, often in wall voids
or attics of houses and buildings. During warm days in the fall and again in the spring, the bugs become active
and invade homes, causing an extreme nuisance.
 Description
 The adult boxelder bug is about 1/2 inch in length, and brownish-black in color, with red stripes on the thorax
and wing margins. The body is also bright red. Eggs are a rusty red color and are not often seen, as they are
deposited on boxelder trees. The nymphs, also found on the trees, are bright red in color with the head end
darker. Nymphs resemble adults but do not have fully developed wings and are not able to reproduce. The
change from nymph to adult is a gradual one.
 Life History
 The boxelder bugs pass the winter in the adult and sometimes nymphal stages in dry, sheltered places where
they have accumulated in gregarious masses. They often choose buildings or houses as a protected place to
overwinter. When weather warms up in the spring, the bugs leave their places of hibernation to fly to boxelder
trees, where they deposit their eggs. Eggs are usually deposited in bark crevices and hatch in 11 to 14 days.
The nymphs feed by inserting their beaks into leaves, fruits or soft seeds and sucking the plant juices.
Boxelder bugs feed on the seeds of other maple species as well as on boxelder. Feeding continues throughout
the summer, and the nymphs gradually mature, becoming adults as cold weather approaches in the fall. In
some areas there may be two broods of this insect, one reaching maturity in mid-summer and the second one
in early fall.
The boxelder bugs begin to aggregate in warm spots in the autumn, and may continue to be active until cold
weather sets in. Although the base of the host tree is often chosen as an overwintering site, other nearby sites
(usually on south facing sides) including rock walls, log or firewood piles, or under the siding of houses or
buildings.

 Management
 Non-insecticidal Control
 Building surfaces that are exposed to the sun and stay warm longer may be made less desirable by shading
them. Aggregations of the bugs may be washed from the sides of buildings with a strong spray of water. They
will return however, if the site is still warm. Covering firewood may prevent the bugs from accumulating there.
Indoors, vacuuming up the bugs and discarding the contents of the vacuum bag when finished is a good,
effective, housekeeping method. (If bugs are left inside the vacuum they may crawl out in the storage place.)
During active periods you may have to vacuum daily. Closing up the routes of entry the bugs use by caulking
or screening is a more permanent solution.
Since the presence of these bugs is associated with boxelder trees, replacement with other tree species is one
method of limiting this nuisance pest. If boxelder is grown, it may be best to keep only the male or staminate
trees - female trees produce seeds on which the bugs can feed. However, boxelder bugs can feed on the
seeds of some other species of trees, including other maples.

 Insecticidal Control
 For control on trees during the summer growing season, the insecticide malathion is labeled. A small number
of trees may be sprayed by the homeowner, but large trees and large groups of trees should be done by a
certified pesticide applicator.
Outdoors around the home where boxelder bugs accumulate, pesticides registered in New York State in 2009
that can be used as a targeted perimeter treatment include: bifenthrin, cyfluthrin, esfenvalerate, lambdacyhalothrin,
and malathion. BE SURE TO FOLLOW THE MANUFACTURER'S DIRECTIONS ACCURATELY
WHEN USING ANY PESTICIDE.

 5/1984, Prepared by: Carolyn Klass
Sr. Extension Associate
Department of Entomology
Cornell University
 5/2002, Revised by:
Updated 12/2009
Carolyn Klass

 This publication contains pesticide recommendations. Changes in pesticide regulations occur constantly and
human errors are still possible. Some materials mentioned may no longer be available and some uses may no
longer be legal. All pesticides distributed, sold or applied in New York State must be registered with the New
York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). Questions concerning the legality and/or
registration status for pesticide use in New York State should be directed to the appropriate Cornell Cooperative
Extension Specialist or your regional DEC office. READ THE LABEL BEFORE APPLYING ANY PESTICIDE.
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What Are Stink Bugs?

Pentatomoidea, commonly known as stink bugs or shield bugs, is referred to a super family of insects belonging to the Heteroptera suborder. In this order the insects share common characteristics such as piercing mouth-parts as well as a particular kind of wings which are toughened at the base and membranous at the tips.
The scientific name of stink bugs, Pentatomoidea, has been derived from the fact that they have an antenna which is divided into five segments. Stink bugs have broad bodies that are either in triangular shape or semi-elliptical. Their bodies serve the purpose of defensive shield against predators; this is why they are sometimes referred to as "shield bugs".
Stink bugs excrete offensive smelling liquid from their thorax glands that are placed in between the first and second pair of legs. When they are molested or attacked by predators, they produce this liquid defensively in order to put off potential threat to their lives. Usually, they are not considered to be pests for they do not render significant loss to plants; however, when they make a larger group, they may become considerable pests.
It is worth mentioning here that all stink bugs have sucking mouthparts and broad bodies, but still there are variations in their body colorings. On account of this distinction they are further divided into fifteen different species. Among them brown stink bugs and green stink bugs are the most famous types.

Brown Stink Bugs
The Brown Marmorated Stink Bugs, scientifically known as Halyomorpha halys , are insects in Pentatomoidea family found in Asian counties like China and Japan. The size of adult brown stink bugs varies from individual to individual ranging from 1.5 cm long to 2 cm. When they are nymphs, they are red in color which becomes black and ultimately brown as soon as they become adults. Although their underside remains white even after reaching adulthood, it is their brown legs with faint white banding that make them distinct from other similar bugs.
The brown marmorated stink bugs are regarded as agricultural pests for they render widespread harm to fruits and vegetable crops. Their major hosts include maple, birch, serviceberry, catalpa, butterfly bush, pecan, redbud, hackberry, pepper, dogwood, citrus, cucumber, tomato, sunflower, apple, pear, plum, and grape. Brown stink bugs use their proboscis to suck the host plants and resultantly they not only create necrotic areas on the surface of fruits but also even cause seed loss and transfer of plant pathogens.
Another distinct characteristic of brown bugs is that they go into the state of hibernation in winter seasons and invade homes or structures where temperature does not fall critically. Their hideouts include under siding, windows and door frames. However, in spring they remain active in feeding on plants and vegetables.