Greetings!
 Seed Bug
Neacoryphus lateralis Recognize this guy? You might have seen or heard about the thousands of small bugs swarming all over the place, particularly around homes. We're getting calls right and left about this annoying condition that has been misdiagnosed by the TV stations and their "in-house" mavens and leading to a lot of confusion. That's right - word is that we're being inundated by millions of "Boxelder beetles" and that's just not the case.
While you probably don't give a hoot about what kind of bugs are causing the trouble - but just want them gone - as your pest control expert I thought it would be a good idea to provide some accurate information about these rascals.
The Seed Bug: Their scientific name is Neacoryphus lateralis, commonly known as the "seed bug" because that's what it eats. Brilliant, eh? It's blackish with red-orange stripes outlining the wings, and sorta' looks like the Boxelder beetle and that's what causes the confusion. This critter is seldom noticed but I remember in 2003 and 2004 we also had massive populations of them being experienced in urban Arizona regions.
Why Are They Here? Our winters of 2003 -'04 and 2007 - '08 were abnormally wet which typically results in good annual plant production with their associated seeds in the spring. The summer of 2007 also had a banner monsoon season causing abundant plant growth, flowering, and substantial seed production. The seed bug population grows in response to food or seed availability, and with the recent wet seasons that growth has been monumental.
Are They Dangerous? Not to worry - seed bugs are harmless to humans. They are, however, extremely annoying and some of us get to experience this first hand by seeing thousands of them massing around homes. I know this will sound unbelievable, but no one knows what causes them to select one home over another, but they do and there's no way to prevent this situation from occurring since its all tied to mother nature.
The Good News: Their life span is extremely short - so short that they're usually dead before insecticides can be absorbed in their tiny bodies. More good news is that they'll be gone at the end of the monsoon season.
Precautions: There's nothing to prevent seed bugs from descending on your home, but here are some precautions to take to minimize their entry.
- Make sure doors and windows fit tight
- Use common masking tape to reinforce questionable areas of penetration
- Keep out-door lights off so seed bugs won't be attracted at night
- Sweep them up with a shop-vac
Of course you can always call us and we'll handle your concerns and any problems with these or any other pesky fellas.
We appreciate your business and will never take it for granted.
Sincerely,
Bret
602.550.7373
bret@sonoranpest.com
SonoranPest.com
PS: I'm putting Lexi back to work next month so she can start earning her keep - summer's over and its time. Anyway, she'll have a short column about - who know what will come out of her little mouth next.
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