Bugs, Ugh!

[otherearths_outthere]

5 years ago when kid #5 and I moved to Oregon, there were absolutely no stink bugs. Two years later we became inundated. I just hate them. I posted previously about one that damn near fell into my dinner plate as he was wiggling his stupid little legs in his death throes

Today The Colonel found them in the main circuit breaker in the fuse box. They messed up everything, lights, The Colonel’s power tools and worst of all the well. We are entirely dependent on the well for all of our water. It took forever to get the damn things out of the fuses and wiring. I hate being without water. I had just started a load of laundry and had cleaned out the wood stove and pellet stove and was more than ready to take a shower. We have things fixed for now, but The Colonel is worried about how to prevent this from happening again.

Comments

[em_kellesvig]

OMG we have them here: Asian marmorated stink bugs. According to the pest control man, there's nothing to be done about them. He claims the cold will kill them (it doesn't).

They showed up here in WI about five years ago; I noticed only because one wintered over with me. The next year, I had three. This year, they're everywhere and the other renters keep stepping on them. Oh, the stink! They come in to keep warm in the winter, don't eat anything (that we know; I haven't seen them around the cat's food), and don't seem to lay eggs. As soon as it's warm, they migrate back outside and I wish them farewell.

With your information, I'll start checking the electronics. Each unit has its own fuse box. I'd hate to see the mess they make out of that.

[otherearths_outthere]

Asian marmorated, eh? Your observations align with mine. Apparently they eat some crops. In the winter I guess they hibernate and don't eat then, but they definitely do lay eggs, when you are checking out your wiring and fuse boxes look for what looks like, uh ground coffee, those are they baby bugs. Although at this time of year I don't know if you'd find them. last year it took me months, literally months to get rid of the babies as the came out of a window casing every few day and I would have to "nuke" them. (i was heavy-handed on the bug spray)

Good luck, it sounds like your infestation isn't quite so bad. Yet.

[em_kellesvig]

Thanks for the head's up. I'm on the seventh floor and they don't seem to fly well, so maybe that's why I'm not quite so inundated.

My research shows they came in with ornamental bushes from Asia and they're eating those and corn here in Wisconsin. That's all we need here, one more invasive species to go with the zebra mussels and everything else. Oy gavalt!