03/19/2023
We did see these bugs in our area too
If you live in London, Ont., you might have seen this black and red bug in your home.
Residents there have been puzzling on social media over its identity and origins.
Are they invasive? A sign of problems lurking behind the walls?
Our CBC team there has researched the matter and come back with the following advice: Do not panic. Do not squish.
According to Antonia Guidotti, an entomology technician at Toronto’s Royal Ontario Museum, the insects are likely boxelder bugs.
They are native to North America and in some areas are called maple bugs.
They get their name from the boxelder tree, also known as Manitoba maples, whose seeds are an important food source.
Guidotti said people might be seeing more this year because they thrived in last summer's dry conditions, leaving more to invade heated Canadian homes.
"The adults like to overwinter in a nice, warm space, like people that head south for the winter," said Guidotti.
While they're unwelcome guests, Guidotti said boxelder bugs aren't known to bite and they won't destroy your home with chewing.
Guidotti warns against squishing them — their red guts stink and can leave permanent stains, particularly on light-coloured walls, curtains or linen.
She advises just sweeping them up and tossing them outside.
For those with a take-no-prisoners approach, they can also be sucked up with a vacuum or grabbed in a tissue and flushed down the toilet.
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(Reporting: Andrew Lupton/CBC News; Photo: CatbirdHill/Shutterstock) |
