Backyard “Bugs”:Who’s Who and What To Do

By Sharon MorriseyConsumer Horticulture Agent

Milwaukee County UW-ExtensionSouthEast Wisconsin Master Gardener Volunteers

2017

Who’s Who?

What to do?

If anything!!

Use “clickers” to test your knowledge

A. Asian ladybeetles

B. Emerald ash borer

C. Boxelder bugs

D. Earwigs

E. Japanese beetles

Who caused this damage? Choose one:

A. Japanese beetles

B. Boxelder bugs

C. Slugs

D. Earwigs

E. Bumblebees

Choose one:

A. Japanese beetles

B. Asian ladybeetles

C. Emerald Ash Borer

D. Boxelder bugs

E. Deer ticks

Who left something behind?

A. Lone star tick

B. Yellow jackets

C. Bald-faced hornets

D. Paper wasps

E. Honey bee

Hello, my name is_________.

A. Boxelder bugs

B. Yellow jackets

C. Bald-faced hornets

D. Paper wasps

E. Bumblebees

Choose one:

A. Japanese beetles

B. Asian ladybeetles

C. Emerald Ash Borer

D. Boxelder bugs

E. Earwigs

Who is this and what is she doing to this flower?

A. Boxelder bugs

B. Yellow jackets

C. Bald-faced hornets

D. Paper wasps

E. Bumblebees

All are different but all are the same.

A. Asian ladybeetles

B. Dog ticks

C. Yellow jackets

D. Boxelder bugs

E. Paper wasps

Your leaf for 5 is ready.

A. Japanese beetles

B. Asian ladybeetles

C. Emerald Ash Borer

D. Boxelder bugs

E. Earwigs

How experienced are you as a gardener?

A. Total novice

B. Have grown a few things

C. Some experience

D. I’ve gardened quite a bit

E. I’ve been gardening all of my life

Which are you?(Choose only one)

A. Hispanic and white

B. Non-Hispanic and African American

C. Non-Hispanic and Asian

D. Non-Hispanic and White

E. More than one race

Entomology Review

• Insects are arthropods along with spiders, ticks, mites,

• There are XXX species of insects in WI.

• Only XXX are pests.

Insect Anatomy

Head

Thorax

Abdomen

Life Cycles = Metamorphosis

Complete Metamorphosis Gradual Metamorphosis

Ladies and Gentlemen, the Beetles!

• Japanese beetles– 6 pairs of white dots on lower

body.– Beetles eat leaves and flowers and

mate constantly from mid-June to September. Leaves become lacey.

– Favorites include birch, linden, roses, grapes, crabapples, plums –up to 350 types of plants.

– Eggs are laid in lush lawns. – Grubs hatch and feed on roots of

turfgrass and decorative plants.

What to do• Adults:

– Remove by hand in small areas. Knock into soapy water.

– Traps only attract more.– Insecticides sprayed in afternoon

when beetles are active. More will fly in so repeat sprays as directed.• Spinosad is an organic insecticide

labeled for JB. Check label for crops.• Reduce pesticide use by treating

only your most valuable plants.

– Trees damaged yearly can be treated with imidachlopridsystemic insecticide in spring.

What to do• Grubs:

– Treat only if lawn damage is severe.

– “Milky spore” is a biological control product.

– Others available.

The fifth beetle

• Asian ladybeetle(Multi-colored Asian ladybeetle )

– A ladybug that bites

– Congregate on building walls in fall• West and southwest sides mostly

– Move to hibernation sites after first freeze• Can go indoors through openings

by doors, windows, etc.

• Don’t multiply or nest indoors

Ladybug Life Cycle

• Adults and larvae eat many insect pests

• Adult colors and spots vary

• Larvae look like alligators!

What to do• Harmless outdoors –

actually beneficial!

• Seal openings into house

• Remove individuals

• Use vaccuum hose & empty bags when finished

• Joints “bleed” when distrubed – stains fabrics

Boxelder bug

• Attracted to boxelder and silver maple trees

– Eat seeds & leaves

• Young and adults together

• Fewer in wet years, more when dry

– Due to a fungus

• Congregate on building walls in fall

• Can move indoors

– Do not multiply or nest indoors

What to do• Harmless outdoors

• Prevent entry

– Seal all openings

– 3-4% soap and water mix

Slugs• Snail without a “home” (shell)

• Feed on leaves and fruits at night

– Scout with a flashlight

• Hide in dark, moist places by day

– Under mulch, boards and rocks

Slugs• Leave a “slime trail”

• Overwinter as eggs

Slug damage

What to do

• Pick off by hand

• Damp newspaper and boards to crawl under then kill

• Thin out or remove mulch and lower leaves to improve air circulation and dry out area

• Frogs, ducks & chickens eat them

What to do• Pans of beer or yeast level with the soil

• Commercial traps

• Iron phosphate

• Metaldehyde (harmful to pets)

• Diatomaceous earth and eggshells not very effective

Earwigs• “Pincers” but do not bite humans

• Catch other insects with them

• Hide during day

• Like moist, shady places

• Run fast

• Do not get into people’s ears while they sleep and eat into their brains

• They are “maternal” – very unusual in the insect world.- they care for their eggs and young– Do not breed indoors

• Hibernate and nest 2 – 3 inches in the ground

• First ones seen in late May to early June

Damage• Feed on flowers, leaves, seedlings, vegetables

– Make holes in leaves or eat large areas

• Crawl into homes if not sealed well

• Crawl under well caps, fall in and bacteria get in water

What to do• Much like slug control

– Thin out mulch and trim leaves for air circulation

– Trap in rolled up newspapers and discard

– Trap in shallow cans baited with fish oil or vegetable oil

• Use insecticides in daytime hiding places

Ticks

• Not an insect – an arthropod – 8 legs

• Dog tick, Deer tick, Lone Star tick

• Carry and transmit diseases

– Deer tick – Lyme disease, anoplasmosis, Babesiosis

– Lone star tick – Rocky Mntn. Spotted fever, tularemia, tick paralysis

Deer ticks

Lone star tick

Dog tick

• Ticks like high humidity and grassy or brushy settings

• Deer tick acquires Lyme organism from mice

• Needs 24 - 48 hours to transmit to human

• Caught early, treatment with antibiotics are effective

• Lone star tick bites can be quite severe

• Can cause some people to have an allergic reaction to red meat!

What to do• Keep grass mowed, brush cleared, prune to let in

sun and wind• There are no effective area repellents for ticks• Wear protective clothing and tuck pant legs into

socks• Treat clothing used for this purpose and reuse

same clothing• Use insecticide with DEET to repel ticks• Do a thorough tick check afterwards• Remove tick with tweezers, hold the head only,

pull and hold until it releases– Do not squeeze

Field Ants• Mound-forming ones

– Lawns, gardens, around plants

– Kill shading plants with formic acid

– Colonies with queen 2 – 3 feet deep

– Flying ants in fall looking for new nesting site

– Live 10+ years!

• Many colors

– Bite!!

– Not carpenter ants

What to doGoal: kill the queen• Rake away surface

debris• Poke several deep holes

with rod• Mix insecticide in a

bucket– Hot water and borax

NOT effective

• Pour into holes• Replace debris

Bees and Wasps

• Scary – all have stingers–but “Don’t Panic”

Remember!

• All are important pollinators!

• Let them be(e)– Unless they interfere with

human activity

What’s the difference?

Bees

• Fuzzy, including hair on legs

• Rounder

• Social colonies or solitary

• Gentle and not aggressive– Only sting to protect nest

• Barbed stinger stays in, bee dies, – Stings only once

– Remove by scraping not pulling

• BENEFICIAL: VERY IMPORTANT AS POLLINATORS

Wasps

• Hairless body

• Long, thin waist

• Build nests for colony

• More aggressive

• Smooth stinger doesn’t stay in victim– Can sting multiple times

• BENEFICIAL:– EAT UNWANTED INSECTS

– POLLINATE SOME PLANTS

Honey Bees

• Colonies with complex social order of workers, drones and queens– Usually in hive structures.

– Can form in tree cavities or voids in building walls.

– Survive for more than one year.

• Most important insect for the global economy.

Swarms and Natural Colonies• Swarm of one queen and many workers and

drones leave hive when overcrowded• Cluster on a tree branch, etc. until scouts find a

site for the new nest – one hour to a couple days• Not aggressive with no nest to protect

What to do• If out of the way – do

nothing!

• Swarms will leave – Do not disturb– Or call a beekeeper to

collect the swarm

• Natural colonies – Bees need to be killed

to remove.• In March or April.• Can use ¼ c. of laundry

or dish soap in 1 gal. of water or an insecticide.

• Wax moths will quickly destroy wax.

Bumblebees• Superior pollinators to

honey bees– Large

– “buzz pollinate”

• Sting only if threatened.

• Make nests underground or above ground – Use dry grass and moss.

– Only for one year – not reused.

What to do?• If out of the way, leave them alone.

• Wait for first frost to kill them

• Then remove.

Wasps

• Thousands of species

– Mini to several inches long

– Most are beneficials

• Predatory on pest insects

• They are pollinators

• Best known

– Paper wasps

– Bald-faced hornets

• a type of yellow jacket

– Yellow jackets

The cicada killer is the largest wasp

Paper wasps

• Brown with yellow stripes.

– Legs dangle in flight.

• Defend nests aggressively.

• Can sting multiple times.

• Umbrella-shaped nests in eaves, door frames and window sills.

– No outer papery covering

• Small colonies of a queen and a couple dozen drones and workers.

• Nests used for only one year.

– Only the queen survives to start new nest in spring.

What to do

• Leave them alone if possible.

• If near human activity, kill the nest.– Wait for evening when less

active

– Wear protective clothing

– Spray with soap and water solution

– Or use an aerosol insecticide.

– Cover the entire nest with spray.

Bald-faced hornetsBlack with white

markings. Can sting multiple times.

Nests can be hidden by leaves.

• A type of yellow jacket not a true hornet.

• Beneficial since they feed insects to their young and pollinate.

• Nests are football-shaped and covered with a papery mix of wood and the queen’s saliva. – Found on tree limbs, shrubs or

even utility lines.

– Only used for one year and are vacant after the first frost.

– Only queen survives to start a new hive in spring.

Inside the nest are several tiers of plates made up of cells for larvae.

What to do

• They aggressively protect their nests.

• If it interferes with human activity, kill the nest.

– Aerosol insecticide spray directly into the entrance at night or early morning when less active.

– Wear protective clothing.

• After it freezes, can safely remove and destroy.

Yellow-jackets• Black with yellow

stripes

• aggressive scavengers of human food and beverages in late summer and fall.

• Protective of colony

– Can sting multiple times

Yellow-jackets• Nests are underground

– Built like bald-faced hornets nests with papery covering.

– Also other cavities• Hollow log• Attics• Wall voids

• Only use one season.– All except the Queen die when freezes

Important predators

• Feed their young insects, spiders, caterpillars, flies, crickets, and more.

• Adults eat nectar and fruit juices • “Accidental” pollinators as they forage

What to do at fall picnics?

• No effective insecticides. Traps don’t catch enough.

• Wait to serve food and drink until everyone is ready.

• Cover or put away food immediately.

• Use a garbage can with a tight fitting lid.

• Always check before drinking anything.

• Gently brush away wasps that get into food.

What to do about nests?• Only if it is where they might bother people

– Treat late evening or early morning when they are all in the nest.

– Wear protective clothing

– Above ground nests, spray an aerosol into entrance hole

– Below ground, use an insecticide dust at the entrance

– If concealed in wall voids, call a professional

– Check after a day for activity

– Leave nests in place – they will look for other places next year

Invasive Insects

• Imported accidentally

• No natural enemies in new ecosystem

• Eventually kill host

• Many in history– Gypsy moth

Emerald Ash Borer

• To Detroit from Asia in packing crates in 2002

Epicormic Shoots Woodpecker Flecking

What to doTreatments are very effective

“Is my ash tree worth saving?”

Must treat forever

Or until biological control for insect found

YES NO

• “Is my ash tree worth saving?”

– Must treat forever

• Until biological control for insect found

• Homeowners

– Soil drenches

– Every year

Professionals

• Injections

• Last 2+ years

Jumping worms

What to do

What to do

• If you DON’T have them– Check new plants with soil

– Check bulk mulch before using

• If you DO have them – Don’t Panic!!– Don’t Move Them Around!!!

• With plants in your yard

• On tools

– Don’t move soil around

• Controls being researched

Test Your Knowledge Again!

A. Asian ladybeetles

B. Emerald ash borer

C. Boxelder bugs

D. Earwigs

E. Japanese beetles

Choose one:

A. Japanese beetles

B. Boxelder bugs

C. Slugs

D. Earwigs

E. Bumblebees

Choose one:

A. Japanese beetles

B. Asian ladybeetles

C. Emerald Ash Borer

D. Boxelder bugs

E. Deer ticks

Choose one:

A. Lone star tick

B. Yellow jackets

C. Bald-faced hornets

D. Paper wasps

E. Honey bee

Choose one:

A. Boxelder bugs

B. Yellow jackets

C. Bald-faced hornets

D. Paper wasps

E. Bumblebees

Choose one:

A. Japanese beetles

B. Asian ladybeetles

C. Emerald Ash Borer

D. Boxelder bugs

E. Earwigs

Choose one:

A. Boxelder bugs

B. Yellow jackets

C. Bald-faced hornets

D. Paper wasps

E. Bumblebees

Choose one:

A. Asian ladybeetles

B. Dog ticks

C. Yellow jackets

D. Boxelder bugs

E. Paper wasps

Choose one:

A. Japanese beetles

B. Asian ladybeetles

C. Emerald Ash Borer

D. Boxelder bugs

E. Earwigs

Backyard “Bugs”:Who’s Who and What to Do

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