Let The Game Begin!

Well, it's that time of the year when the day are longer, the weather starts to warm and we're in the homestretch to spring.

With these changes also comes the awakening of both the Boxelder Bugs and the dreaded Stink bugs. These pesky insects start stirring and randomly appearing in the house - not an onslaught but rather one here and one there. More annoying than anything else.

But with it also comes time for "water' sports!

"Water" sports, as defined by me, is where the emerging critters are gently gathered and tossed into the commode 🚽, see below, then used as targets 🎯, wink wink.

Now I'm not saying this is a gender specific sport, heaven forbids no! However, I would imagine that males have a far easier time at this game, but ALL are invited to play!

Ready! Set! Unzip...

Soapy Water!

I don't believe you'll find this tip on Pinterest, so here you go.  You can thank me later!

I used this Windex product back in the spring to spray the outside of all the windows of my house.  It did a pretty good job at cleaning them and they were streak free as claimed.  The key part is this bottle has the ability to stream long distances.

So, instead of recycling, I saved the bottle with the following specific fall use in mind and let me tell you, it didn't disappoint; worked like a charm.

Every year around this time in the fall, the south and west sides of my house attracts Box elder bugs and stink bugs, see pics below, GRRR!  They amass hiding under the clapboards, behind the shutters, wherever they can.

They're not dangerous and don't do any harm to me or the dog or the house, with one exception - their poop!  They poop everywhere and it stains the house, double GRRR!

However, here's the good news and why I saved the above bottle. The Box elder bugs can be controlled and killed simply by spraying them with soapy water!  SO, every couple of days now for the past several weeks, I pour a generous helping of Dawn liquid soap into the bottle and fill up with warm water.  Attach it to my hose and spray the sides of my house, behind the shutters and under the clapboards.  This bottle does a terrific job at reaching the second floor windows, nooks and crannies from the ground and has some good force with it also. AND boy-o-boy does it flush these dudes out good.  Although, mostly effective, it doesn't kill them all but does well enough and helps to spray their poop off the house too.

If it's not the deer or the rabbits or the woodchucks, it's these darn insects.

It's a battle and I'm holding my own!

Well This Stinks!

 The invasion has begun, UGH!

It's that time of the year when my house becomes a magnet for Boxelder bugs and Stink bugs.  This is a yearly occurrence that has been taking place since I moved in.

The South side of the house is where they usual mass, especially once the sun hits and it warms up.  They're harmless, however, the issue is the poop they leave all over the clapboards when they gather.  Just as quickly as they appear, poof they go into hiding when it starts to cool down.

I could spend hours chasing and swatting them and often do but it doesn't make a difference or a dent in their numbers.  The problem too is that often times some fine there way into the house.  Again, they're harmless but the stink bugs in particular, stink, so if you try to remove them PHEW!  Unfortunately, the cold and freezing New England winters do not kill them.  They seem to overwinter just fine and reappear come spring to start the cycle all over again.

Um, PHEW!

Well, it's that time of the year again, stink bug and boxelder bug invasion time, UGH!

Every Fall for years now these insects descend on our house, apparently looking for places to hold up over the winter.  As I look now and count, there are 15 on four different window screens.

This dude pictured above is a Chinavia hilaris nymph - Green Stink Bug. Not too many of the green variety around now, all brown.  This one will not become an adult and therefore will not try to get inside.

Now, where's the fly swatter?!

Pee-U

We typically have the regular old brown Stink Bugs here at the ole homestead.  More and more arrive as summer turns to fall and they search for a place to hide for the winter.  Both are commonly encountered pest of seeds, grain, nuts and fruit in both the nymph and adult stages across North America.

This green stink bug lasted perhaps a bit longer that it's brown relative but only for this one and done photo op.  And both the brown and the green look the same when squished!

A Stinky Katydid?!?

Here are a couple insects that have yet to stow away for the winter.  They were both hanging out on our back deck basking in the warm sun. They better get their tails in gear or there gonna find themselves out in the cold!

 

 

A Brown Stink Bug (Pentatomidae)

 

A Katydid (Tettigoniidae)