Maple bugs out in force in Regina
Rise in maple bugs coincides with elm bark beetles becoming less active, city says
Black and red insects known as maple bugs are getting together and trying to sneak into Regina homes.
The city's pest control manager Russell Eirich said the insects — about the size of a thumbnail and also known as boxelder bugs — are looking for a warm place to spend the winter.
"They'll start to try to get into the houses," he told reporters during the most recent weekly "Buzz on Bugs" update.
"They're going to be looking for cracks and crevices on the building," he said, adding that residents should seal these access points or fill them with insecticide dust.
Like tent caterpillars, he said the bugs like to congregate in the cool of the morning and feed on the seeds of maple trees.
Don't squish the bugs
Eirich warned residents not to squish the bugs, as the smell and residue they emit when squished attracts more of them to the area.
Alternatively, he said, residents can suck them up with a shop vacuum and drown them.
However, if the bugs do manage to get into a resident's home, there's no need for alarm. The bugs are not known to sting, bite or transmit disease and are just considered a nuisance by some people.
The rise of the home-invading bugs comes as somewhat of a trade off. Elm bark beetles, which spread Dutch elm disease, are less active at this time of year, so the elm tree pruning ban has been lifted in the city.
So far this year, the city has lost 10 trees to Dutch elm disease.
