Bug Bites
Minute Pirate Bugs - Little Bug with a Big Bite
Recently you may have also experienced the bite of a bug so tiny it
easily fades into oblivion among a sea of freckles. These little bitsy
guys are minute pirate bugs.
The minute pirate bug, Orius tristicolor, is less than one
eight of an inch long, oval to triangular in shape, somewhat flattened
and black with whitish marks on the back.
Most of the time minute pirate bugs are good guys. They are true,
generalist predators feeding on many different prey including thrips,
aphids, spider mites and many insect eggs. They can consume as many
as 30 spider mites per day. They are reportedly important predators
of corn earworm eggs in cornfields.
Minute pirate bugs are present all summer in fields, woodlands, gardens
and landscapes going unnoticed by us. I haven’t been able to come
up with a definitive reason for why these guys go Dr. Jekyll and Mr.
Hyde on us at the end of the season. Why do they suddenly decide to
bite something a zillion times bigger than they are after they have
spent the summer munching on tiny spider mites? Oh, the insect mind.
Perhaps there is not enough prey at that time of the year for the numbers
of pirate bugs present. Maybe it’s the moisture we provide. Maybe
they are just mean.
Their bite is amazingly painful for something so tiny. When they bite
they are actually probing us with their short blunt beak. They do not
feed on blood or inject venom or saliva.
Everyone seems to react differently to his or her bite and some people
seem to be more apt to be bit. I get bit more often when I am working
and sweating (or is it glowing?) Bites on some people swell up like
a mosquito bite, some turn into a hard red bump and for others there
is no reaction at all. Minute pirate bugs are not quick to fly following
biting, so you usually see what just bit you so hard.Trying to control
minute pirate bugs is really not practical. Their biting occurs for
a very short time and tends to be more abundant some years. Also since
they are overall beneficial by eating many pests, it is best just to
put up with their split personality. Reportedly wearing dark clothing
on very warm days when pirate bugs are abundant may help. Keeping covered
with long sleeves and long pants will also definitely help. Repellents
have mixed reviews as to how well they help with pirate bugs but may
be worth a try.
Ladybugs may also bite this time of year. Perhaps for the same reasons
as pirate bugs. The same control and prevention measures would apply
to ladybugs.
Source: Sandra Mason, Unit Educator, Horticulture
& Environment, Champaign County
Multicolored Asian Lady Beetles Invade
The multicolored Asian lady beetle will be invading homes soon! With
increases in populations over the years, this non-native beetle has
turned into a nuisance home invader this fall. We are learning more
about this insect, and an Extension entomologist shared some additional
information last week in a research meeting.
Beetles range in color from yellow to red and vary in the number of
spots that occur on the wing covers. If the beetles are red, then they
ate mostly aphids during the season, whereas if they tend toward orange
and yellow, they fed on more pollen during the season. The number of
spots relates to air temperature during development. Beetles tend to
be attracted to older homes and those with light-colored siding; of
course, most older homes afford more cracks and crevices for entry.
Lady beetles can enter through an opening of only an eighth of an inch.
Once a house has been invaded, it’s likely to be invaded again
the following season. The beetles emit a pheromone (scent) that persists;
they will return to homes with this pheromone scent.
Prevention is the best way to control the beetles. Seal openings where
pipes enter your home such as gas meters, faucets and dryer vents. Caulk
around doors, windows and chimneys. Repair tears in screens. Keep siding
in good repair. Indoors vacuum up the beetles. Indoor insecticides are
not effective.
September-October
2002
Hort
Shorts | Hort Tips | Plant
Daffodils Now for a Burst of Spring Color | Prepare
Houseplants for Trip Back Indoors | Late
Bloomers for the Garden | Canker Cleanup
| Bug Bites | Lawn
Care Calendar | Food “Phyte”
| Drying Herbs, Seeds and Hot Chilies on a
String | Health & Household Tips
| USDA Nutrient Data Base | Vegetarian
Diets | An Apple a Day | Did
You Know | Fresh Apple Walnut Cake
Index
| Feedback
