A large family of earth bugs or ground bugs (Lygaeidae) belongs to the order Hemiptera. A characteristic feature of insects is their flattened body, small size and dark color. Among the 4 thousand species of the family, there are bugs with a bright contrasting color - red-black or red-yellow. One of them is a saddled terrestrial. A true phytophage feeds on the buds, ovaries and seeds of herbaceous plants.
How to get rid of the ground bug
Nobody likes bedbugs.
The attitude towards them can be described as disgust. And this is due to their only subspecies - bed bugs. These creatures, once they get into the house, bite painfully, ruin bedding and even furniture. And even though the rest of their brothers are completely safe for humans, the attitude towards them remains unambiguous. But tree bugs have taken root in selected corners of nature and exist peacefully, trying not to come into contact with people.
But they can harm the crops in your garden or ornamental plants, as well as penetrate into a person’s home.
What do wood bugs look like?
They are also called shield bugs. Most often you will see them on a tree or tall bush. Up to one and a half centimeters long, with a wide flat body, they look different at different times of the year: green in spring and summer, dark brown in autumn. The color is their camouflage. They are not so easy to see among the foliage.
And in winter, it is time for them to hibernate somewhere under the bark of a tree or fallen leaves.
Habits of wood bugs.
As already stated, they do not bite. They feed on plant sap. Where the bug feeds, it lays eggs. The leaf, or rather its reverse side, serves as an excellent platform for them. And you shouldn’t think that a bug that accidentally gets into your home will lay eggs. This will not happen, if only because there will be nothing to eat.
The bug even has wings. But only a critical situation, a threat to life, can force him to fly.
Tree bug invasion – myth or reality?
These insects require little for comfort - humidity with air temperature. It is necessary to change one of the named parameters, and the bedbugs flee. What may happen:
- flood; - fire; - high temperatures; - cold snap; - toxic fumes; — other natural or man-made incidents.
And then human housing can become a haven for them. Only for a while. And most likely - in the countryside. To prevent them from harming the crop, owners have to use insecticides, forcing the bedbugs to change their place of residence.
The main thing to remember is that in the event of any natural disaster, buildings nearby will be attacked by insects of all kinds. Wood bugs are almost the most harmless among them. One bad thing is the disgusting smell they emit from fear. It is very rare for a bug to bite a person.
What to do when a bug has entered the house?
Even a wood bug that has entered a room will only cause disgust and fear in many. Although this species is absolutely harmless. Therefore, the owner will not need to take radical measures. It is enough to understand that this is an accident, and that the house will never become its territory for these insects. And usually only a few of them end up in a home, no more than a dozen.
If they do fly into the house, just pick them up carefully and take them outside. By releasing, you will get rid of their presence forever. They won't come back.
Do you want to protect yourself from another such accident? Mosquito nets installed on windows and doors will help out. They are easy to purchase at any supermarket or specialty store. No tree bug will disturb your peace anymore. By the way, so do other insects from the street.
Is it necessary to poison wood bugs?
The answer is clear - no. They will not cause any harm to the people in the house. Before you grab insecticides and organize another pest control, think about the following:
- Cause harm primarily to yourself and your pets.
- There is no need to use these funds. You can take a bedbug out of the house into the air, and it will not come back, especially when you have already taken preventive measures (mesh).
Only in one case is the use of aerosol justified - if these insects appear in the house constantly. This happens very rarely and, as a rule, because there is a huge tree growing under your window, or a vegetable garden or raspberry garden nearby.
About the danger of a tree bug bite.
It has long been known that only bedbugs bite people and feed on their blood. The rest don't do this. Moreover, the jaw of the wood bug is not at all adapted for this. It is equipped only with a proboscis so that it can bite through a leaf or tree bark. Only in case of a mortal threat can something like a human bite happen.
By the way, predatory bugs with chewing teeth are often confused with wood bugs. These ones are quite capable of biting. But despite its pain, such a bite is completely harmless to humans. But if it hits the mucous membranes, it will swell a little and itch, nothing more. So a bedbug bite does not indicate the need to immediately begin thorough disinfestation.
Source
Review of effective remedies
The following medications can be used for bites of all blood-sucking insects, including bedbugs, they will help relieve redness and relieve itching. Each product comes with brief instructions for use and reviews from customers who used it after bedbug bites.
Akriderm ointment
Akriderm ointment has antihistamine, anti-inflammatory, disinfectant and antimicrobial effects. It is recommended to apply it to skin damaged by bedbug bites in a thin, even layer and lightly rub until it is completely absorbed. Akriderm is used as a course lasting 2–4 weeks according to a doctor’s prescription.
The cost of a package (30 grams) is 100–150 rubles.
Fenistil gel
Gel "Fenistil" is one of the best antipruritic agents, since its active substance blocks histamine receptors that provoke itching. To treat bites, you need to apply the gel twice a day. The drug has a contraindication: it cannot be used to treat children under one year of age.
Costs around 350–500 rubles.
Cream Afloderm
Afloderm hormonal cream has a light consistency, is quickly absorbed by the skin and does not leave greasy stains on clothes. Its active components have antiallergic, anti-inflammatory, antipruritic effects. The cream is rubbed into the skin until it is completely absorbed. The course lasts several days.
The price varies from 450 to 500 rubles.
Balm Golden Star (Asterisk)
Balm “Golden Star”, or in common parlance “star”, is made on the basis of natural extracts that work as an antipruritic complex. The balm has been familiar to everyone since Soviet times; its use was limitless.
The average cost is 80 rubles.
Cream Elidel
Elidel cream is very effective not only for dermatitis, but also for inflammation caused by insect bites, as it blocks the release of histamine. It is recommended to use the product 2 times a day, rubbing in with light movements until it is completely absorbed by the skin. The manufacturer writes that the cream can be used by children from 3 months old, but in other countries it is allowed only from 2 years old, or is even prohibited! There are many messages on the forums that this hormonal drug can severely suppress the immune system, so be careful and carefully study reviews about the drug before purchasing.
The drug is quite expensive: 900–1200 rubles.
Common ground bug – should I be afraid of the red-and-black bug?
A large family of earth bugs or ground bugs (Lygaeidae) belongs to the order Hemiptera. A characteristic feature of insects is their flattened body, small size and dark color. Among the 4 thousand species of the family, there are bugs with a bright contrasting color - red-black or red-yellow. One of them is a saddled terrestrial. A true phytophage feeds on the buds, ovaries and seeds of herbaceous plants.
Morphological description of the species
The spotted groundbird (Lygaeus tguestris) is a representative of the order Hemiptera, the family of groundbirds. The bug is medium size, length 10-12 mm. the body is oblong-oval, slightly flattened on top. The head is red, the eyes are large, faceted, spherical in shape. There are black spots near the eyes. The oral apparatus is of a piercing-sucking type, presented in the form of a segmented muscular proboscis. At rest, the organ is tucked under the head and chest.
Interesting fact. The red-and-black-saddled groundbird looks like a soldier bug. The presence of wings in Ligaea spottedis is a distinctive feature.
The shield has the shape of a trapezoid, widening towards the back, and rounded at the sides. The main color is red, there is a large black spot near the base. The head and pronotum are covered with short light hairs. The chest part is black. The abdomen is red with dark spots on the sides and bottom. It has three pairs of long, strong running legs.
The front wings of insects are half hard and leathery. This part is red with two black bands and spots. The edges of the wings are membranous, darkened with a round white spot. The rear pair of wings is shorter but wider than the front. When folded, the transparent rear fenders are on the bottom.
There are two subspecies of beetles:
- Lygaeuse equestris equestris (found by C. Linnaeus in 1758);
- Lygaeuse equestris sicilianus (described by Wagner in 1955).
Lifestyle and reproduction
Insects are found in forest clearings, in bushes, and on lawns. Ligaea spotted prefers warm sunny areas on calcareous soils. In the spring, with the onset of stable positive temperatures, overwintered bugs appear near old stumps and tree trunks. In a garden or forest field, you can notice a cluster of red and black insects basking in the first rays of the sun. The first food of the common groundling is very meager; it is dry leaves. With the appearance of the first dandelions, he moves to yellow flowers.
One generation of earthen bugs develops per year. These insects are distinguished by an incomplete development cycle; there is no pupal stage. The larva is called a nymph.
Reproduction
Mating of terrestrials occurs in the spring on plants, stones or grass. Partners find each other by the scent they release containing pheromones. The male and female are connected by the posterior ends of the abdomen. The fertilized partner lays eggs on the lower part of the leaves of food plants or in the soil to a depth of 1-3 cm. There are 20-50 eggs in one clutch; the female’s fertility during her life is up to 500 eggs. The eggs are grayish-white in color and shaped like cylinders. Of the numerous clutch, no more than half of the viable embryos remain.
Information. The mating process of the mounted groundling lasts up to 24 hours.
The development of the offspring takes 35-40 days. During this time, the nymphs change through five instars. At the beginning they are red, the elytra are rudimentary, and the abdomen is enlarged. With each shedding of their skins, the larvae become more similar to flying adults.
The larvae feed on the caustic juice of milkweed and dandelion, the seeds of spring Adonis, and sunflower. Euphorbia and adonis (adonis) are poisonous herbs for many animals, and the motley liga feeds on them all its life without consequences. The peculiar diet makes the hemolymph (blood) of the bug dangerous. Nature took care of the terrestrial’s defense mechanism and signals to others. The red-black coloration is a warning sign for birds of prey, insects, and reptiles that can attack Ligium spotted.
Morphology
Imago
Sexual dimorphism
The genitalia of different-sex individuals differ in external structure. The structure of the male genitalia is an important species characteristic. Secondary sexual characteristics are not indicated.
The egg is round, green. Diameter 1 – 1.1 mm. As it develops, it changes color and pattern. On the second - third day it is evenly covered with brown dots, on the third - fourth the light green color is restored, at the same time a dark round spot appears on the lid.
The fifth – sixth day is characterized by the formation of an orange pattern shaped like an anchor. On the sixth - eighth day, the anchor pattern becomes clearer and a black spot in the shape of a triangle appears above it - an egg tooth. On the seventh – ninth day, the egg takes on a pink color.
First age. Length 1.5 mm, width 1.3 mm. The shape is almost round and strongly convex. The color of the larvae is light pink, and by the end of the first instar it is dark brown.
Second age. Length 2 – 2.3 mm, width 1.6 mm. The larva is slightly oval in shape. The color is light. Yellowish-gray tone. The head, pronotum and middle part of the abdominal segments are slightly darker at the top.
Third age. Length 3.3 – 4.5 mm, width 2.4 – 2.7 mm. The shape is ovoid. The color of the larva is light yellowish-gray, the head and abdominal segments are dark.
Fourth age. Length 5.2 – 6.1 mm, width 3.8 – 4.5 mm. The color is light yellowish-gray. The body contains clearly defined rudiments of the fore wings in the form of small protrusions on the mesonotum.
Fifth age. Length 8 – 10 mm, width 6 – 6.7 mm. The color of the larvae is light brownish-gray. Three lobe-like projections are visible on the posterior edge of the pronotum.
Phenology of development (in days)
Imago
During the years of mass reproduction, the forest area is populated by bugs almost evenly. During periods of depression - only the most illuminated areas and edges. In forest belts, bugs are concentrated on the south side.
During wintering, some of the bedbugs die. With a snowy, moderately cool winter and sufficient fat accumulation, the death rate of bedbugs is 5–15%. The lack of snow cover and sharp temperature fluctuations, combined with a weakened physiological state, lead to a mortality rate of 80–90%.
In spring, bugs emerge from winter diapause when the litter warms up to + 12°C – + 14°C. At a litter temperature of + 16 °C – + 17 °C they appear on its surface. Mass migration to wheat crops is observed at daytime temperatures not lower than +18°C – +19°C. Phenologically, this coincides with the opening of buds on poplar, maple and summer oak.
Depending on temperature conditions, the emergence of bedbugs and migration to grain crops may last until the end of May.
For the first time, not after migrating to the fields, bugs live in the lower tier of the grass stand and hide in the tillering nodes and under clods of soil. In sunny weather, at a temperature of + 18°C, the cows become active and begin feeding. At the same time, they damage plants in the tillering and booting phases, piercing the stems below the ear bud with their proboscis and sucking out the juices.
Imago
The migration of young adults to wintering areas begins during the harvesting of winter crops. Bugs migrate from fields during the day or evening. They fly at a level of 4 - 5 m. The pest is encouraged to fly by the depressing influence of heat and lack of food. Underfed bugs can spread to different biotopes. They accumulate on spring crops and corn. Some individuals fly to wintering areas, where they feed on wild herbaceous cereals, sometimes on seeds of tree species (ash, maple and others). The migration and feeding of the harmful bug bug is observed until the beginning of October.
Bedbugs that have accumulated enough fat reserves for wintering already take shelter under the litter in the first days after migration and remain there until spring. This process has been observed since July.
How to get rid of the ground bug
In nature, there are many species of animals and insects that cause serious damage to agricultural and garden plants. According to official statistics, about twenty percent of crops around the world are destroyed annually from their vital activity. Garden bugs are widespread throughout the globe. They have sucking type mouthparts and are adapted to feeding primarily on liquid food (carnivorous species are less common). Insects damage the stems and foliage of plants, on which characteristic brown spots appear. Methods for killing insects depend on their type and the structure of their mouthparts. These may be internal chemicals that enter the digestive tract along with plant sap. In the fight against bedbugs, external insecticides are most often used. They penetrate the insect’s body through the chitinous membrane and respiratory organs.
Garden bugs
Bedbugs are insects with a characteristic odor, whose vital activity harms garden crops and also reduces the quality of life of mammals and humans. Red bugs (garden bugs) feed on plant sap, which can lead to the death of immature shoots. This order of hemiptera has glands that produce cimycin acid, which repels birds. Insects reproduce quickly and easily adapt to extreme environmental conditions.
The common ground bug is a family of bugs distinguished by its characteristic color (black-red or black-yellow) and body shape. The size varies from one to 12 millimeters. Distributed throughout the world. Adults and larvae of the bug feed mainly on cruciferous vegetables (cabbage, radish, and others). In this case, insects damage the skin of the plant, and yellowish spots remain on the leaves. Bedbug eggs are protected by a chitinous shell and are bright red in color. The mounted groundling feeds with the help of a piercing-sucking proboscis located in the lower part of the head. There are also several similar species in nature. For example, bugs of the family Lygaeida, unlike the land bug, are capable of flight. The wings have membranes. The sides and chest are black.
Prevention
So, if you don’t want the population of soldiers in your garden to multiply and expand, and ultimately go on the attack, then start using protective measures even when you have not yet seen a single pest in your area. For example, you can plant garden crops and grapes as far as possible from alfalfa and other members of the legume family, which bedbugs simply adore and which provide them with a haven during the harsh winter months.
If you have to endure living next to a neighbor who loves alfalfa and prefers a Moorish lawn to a chaise longue in the middle of a Russian field, then at least mow the weeds as low and close to the fence as possible, and then collect the mowed grass and burn it. There may be both ovipositor and bug larvae on the grass. Do not allow this to happen on your property; if there is a lawn, it must be cut to the minimum permitted height.
Before planting young plants on a plot of, say, the same seedlings, protect it as much as possible from attacks by bedbugs - remove all weeds, loosen the soil and destroy wormwood, quinoa and acorn grass on the plot, in this case they will not repel bedbugs, but, on the contrary, will attract them!
Shield family (Pentatomidae)
Bugs (3-24 mm) with an oval body and dense integument. About 3 thousand species are known in the world fauna. The ubiquitous shield bugs may be less numerous in nature than horse flies, but they are much larger and more massive, and therefore are the first to be noticeable.
Reaches a length of 14 mm. This bug runs quickly through grass and bushes.
Up to 16 mm long, prefers to be in trees. Its color matches the color of the leaf so much that this large bug is difficult to notice. The camouflage of the palomena larva is even more perfect; it doesn’t even look like a bug, but rather like a round piece of leaf on legs. In green stink bugs, like most species of the family, adult bugs overwinter among fallen leaves. In autumn they change color, becoming not green, but brown, the color of the litter.
Some stink bugs are considered pests of agricultural crops. For example, a beautiful black-blue garden bug with a white or red pattern, about 6 mm long, can damage crops from the cruciferous family (cabbage, radishes, turnips, etc.) in the garden. However, more often this bug damages cruciferous weeds.
Features of choice
Today, manufacturers offer a wide selection of products that differ from each other in design, technical and functional characteristics. To choose a high-quality device for cleaning the car interior, you need to consider the following features:
- device size and weight;
- availability of a set of additional attachments;
- steam pressure and power;
- steam tank volume.
Most domestic car enthusiasts know that cleaning the interior requires attention, effort and patience. After all, there is limited space inside the cabin. Therefore, the device must be light and compact.
When choosing a device, you need to pay attention to the technical parameters, especially the steam pressure, and therefore the power. The quality of cleaning of different surfaces depends on this. Experts recommend choosing a device with a power of 1600 W for cleaning the interior.
In this case, the pressure should be within 4 bar
Experts recommend choosing a device with a power of 1600 W for cleaning the interior. In this case, the pressure should be within 4 bar.
Choose a device with adjustable steam supply. By controlling the steam jet, the car owner can determine the required method of exposure to various surfaces. This function is necessary, because the interior has various coatings, each of which has its own processing characteristics.
The volume of the tank is very important. After all, the operating time of the device depends on it. You will have to add water to the small container several times to thoroughly clean the interior.
Please note that 1 liter of water is enough for approximately 30 minutes of continuous
It is advisable that the device comes with attachments of different shapes and configurations. They will allow you to quickly and effectively clean different surfaces. Remember, it is recommended to use a conical nozzle to clean hard-to-reach areas.
This article will help you find out how to choose the right vacuum cleaner with a steam cleaner.
What does a wood bug look like?
The green tree bug has a sharp and long proboscis, with the help of which it obtains food for itself. Its body has a characteristic structure - a wide and thick shell, like a shield. Because of it, the insect is sometimes called a stink bug. The color of the shell is bright green or dirty brown with red splashes. The development period of the green bug lasts more than a week. A durable shield-shell made of chitin helps the insect fight external influences. The molting period - when the stink bug sheds its old shell - is a dangerous time. If the bug does not have time to get out of its tight shell, it dies. In the photo, these insects look harmless, but their disgusting characteristic smell when met in person leaves a less favorable impression.
Is the wood bug harmful?
- The insect can eat crops;
- The pronounced unpleasant smell of a bug can ruin the taste of berries or any other fruit after interacting with it;
- It poses no threat to human habitation, other than being aesthetically unsightly.
Sometimes there are invasions of these insects on garden plots, as a result of which a significant part of the crops or plantings perishes, and the wood also deteriorates.
Are they dangerous for humans?
Garden bugs pose a threat to crops. They do not harm people, but if a stink bug enters a room, an allergic reaction may occur.
If the insect gets on the bed or hygiene items, it can cause itching or a rash. The smell spread from stink bugs remains on objects, on things, on the body. And if you accidentally crush an insect, you will have to ventilate the room for a long time to get rid of the unpleasant smell. Even repeated hand washing will not get rid of the unpleasant smell of garden bugs if you touch it.
If you find stinking insects in your home or if they enter a room, you must use a gentle method to eliminate them. It is not recommended to crush them, because the smell of a stink bug can cause an allergic reaction, including angioedema.
How to fight insects
When pests appear, it is necessary to immediately take measures to destroy them. Insects reproduce quickly and can cause considerable damage to garden crops. There are different methods to get rid of the soldier bug.
Natural enemies
The natural enemies of soldier bugs are birds, mantises and bats. A pungent odor can scare off certain birds, such as tits. Sparrows are good at destroying insects, but they can also harm crop plants. When red bugs get caught in a web, many spiders discard them due to the pungent odor.
Its poisonous color and smell make it invulnerable
The coloring of the red bug is a camouflage with which it protects itself from natural enemies. For birds and spiders, red is a signal that the insect is poisonous and should not be eaten. Soldier bugs are well protected from destruction precisely due to this property.
Chemicals
When using chemicals, it is necessary to take into account that when insects are killed, harm will be caused to the soil and the plants themselves. Soldier bugs have the ability to adapt to pesticides, so each subsequent generation does not die from the previously used poison.
Control measures
So, the bugs have appeared, here’s one, there’s a second one crawling along the birch tree - it’s time to sound the alarm! But you shouldn’t rush headlong to the store and buy drugs containing chemicals, maybe we’ll make do with folk remedies for now?
The simplest of them are onion decoctions (250 g per bucket of water, the norm per square meter of soil of infected plants), wood ash (200 g per bucket of water, this is also a passable potash fertilizer and also the norm per square meter of infected plants), mustard powder (100 g per bucket of water, the norm per square meter of infected plants), laundry soap (you can use a whole piece, the norm per square meter of infected plants).
Planting black cohosh (especially for Botanichka readers - this is a plant belonging to the Buttercup family) or black cohosh (here the name speaks for itself) can also help. For some unknown reason, the smell of these plants makes the soldiers feel bad, and they try to set up a base in a neighboring area, leaving yours alone.
Next comes artillery, a little more powerful, but still biological. This is the Baikal drug, it must be diluted in strict accordance with the instructions on the package, but usually six milliliters are diluted in a bucket of water, a spray bottle is filled and the beetles or infected areas of crops are spot-treated.
Chemicals. Here you need to be careful - serious chemistry requires compliance with mandatory processing times, doses, drugs must be approved for use, and so on and so forth. More recently, Karbofos and Aktara effectively fought against the beetle; they caused paralysis in insects and they simply died.
A cluster of soldier bugs on a tree trunk.
How to identify a wood bug
It differs from other insects in two ways:
- pentagonal body shape;
- inability to fly, despite having wings.
Tree bugs are named so due to their main habitat - on trees and bushes. In winter, stink bugs are usually not found, as they are in a state of hibernation. They rarely get into apartments; they are usually brought from the garden or market along with fruits and flowers.
The stink bug differs from other insects by its specific smell, which is difficult to confuse.
Reasons for the appearance of wood bugs in the house
Living quarters are not the most comfortable habitat for shield bugs. They usually end up in an apartment by accident in single copies. A massive invasion is possible if there are plants on which they live under the window of the house. In the event of a sudden change in weather (cold temperatures, extreme heat or wind), they may seek more comfortable conditions and move to an apartment.
In a village house, invasions occur more often, but for a city apartment such phenomena are atypical.
Can shield bugs breed in an apartment?
An apartment or other type of human habitation does not attract stink bugs as a breeding site and permanent habitat. There is no power source for them here.
Despite their name, they do not feed on wood, chew furniture, or threaten wood products.
The usual breeding site is the underside of the leaf on which eggs are laid.
