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#45133 September 22nd, 2006 at 09:59 AM
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Jonnie Offline OP
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Hi there,
I have hundreds of beetles on this bush. Can someone tell me what they are, and how to get rid of them, even if I need to? They were all over the place, including on me, when I tried weeding ferns from around the bush. Afgreyparrot is going to post the picture for me, since photobucket was NOT working for me. Thanks!

#45134 September 22nd, 2006 at 10:17 AM
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Jonnie...here's the picture.
I was amazed at how many of those beetle things were there! sca
[Linked Image]

#45135 September 22nd, 2006 at 10:22 AM
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You ought to have had them falling all over you. Even if you are not squeamish, they will make you feel yucky!

#45136 September 22nd, 2006 at 07:00 PM
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They almost look like a squash bug..
Do you have any close up photos' of like one bug/
And if you don't, and do take one, can you put something in the picture so we can see proportion???

And that is alotttttt of bugs...

What plant are they all on?
Just that one kind of plant???

#45137 September 22nd, 2006 at 07:42 PM
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they are on that one kind of plant that I saw. My son tried to get a close up, and all he got was blur. I am not sure why. It is my granddaughter's camera, and it is brand new, so I think none of us really know what we are doing. I will look and see if I have a better shot of one.

What is a squash bug (that is what I wanted to do with them but there were too many!!!)

#45138 September 22nd, 2006 at 08:12 PM
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I think I have it. hopefully this works.
[Linked Image]

#45139 September 22nd, 2006 at 08:17 PM
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Here's a link to a Squash Bug
Click on the big picture with all the grey little bugs..

I am still not totally convinced that they are the same..
but maybe the same family Duh Duh Duh

Is the color on the bug that's in the picture on the post, the exact same color the bug is/or was it a camera glitch type...
*it looks like a blueish/pink/purple tint to it too*

#45140 September 22nd, 2006 at 10:11 PM
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well with out a better photo it is hard to get but i am sure they are a "true bug" in the order homoptera. My guess is they are in the seed bug family, Lygaeidae. Most are plant feeders with their piercing sucking mouth parts. The more common seed bug is the milkweed bug.

It looks from the photos they are adults, as immatures they will not have fully deveoped wings, they just have wing pads and can be differnt slightly colors from the adults.

well if you want to kill them you can pick them off and put in soapy water.

#45141 September 23rd, 2006 at 02:55 AM
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I assume they will hurt the plant? They are only on that one plant. They are greyish black (I guess bluegrey/black) and they have a little red at their head...

#45142 September 23rd, 2006 at 02:56 AM
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Weezie, that is close but the color is a little different?

#45143 September 23rd, 2006 at 03:12 AM
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For a better ID there would have to be better photos of the anatomy or someone to have the samples of the bugs. It is hard to ID to genus over the Internet especially when it is an insect that is not of economic importance.

You might be able to track it by host plant.

#45144 September 23rd, 2006 at 03:14 AM
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Could the be box elder bugs?

#45145 September 23rd, 2006 at 03:17 AM
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Box Elder's have bright red lines on them
I thought...

#45146 September 23rd, 2006 at 09:58 AM
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they have some red on them.

#45147 September 23rd, 2006 at 10:12 AM
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What kind of bush is it on, Jonnie?

Dianna

#45148 September 25th, 2006 at 10:25 PM
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A wax myrtle.

#45149 September 25th, 2006 at 10:45 PM
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Might be a largus bug, Largus succinctus but again.. hard to tell from the photos.

#45150 September 26th, 2006 at 10:19 AM
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What I want to know, is WHAT to do about it? What can I spray it with to make them go away? They are eating my wax myrtle.

#45151 September 26th, 2006 at 10:23 AM
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I'd start squishin' them by hand until you get a positive answer/identification...

I squish alot of bugs..
Holds them at bay for a bit..
Or at the very least, keeps them from mulitplying...

Or even shoosh them into a bucket of hot water w/soap in it and them them drowned...

#45152 September 26th, 2006 at 10:51 AM
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Weezie,
I am not so sure I can do that. I do type and things some. But I use voice to text to do most of it. I have arthritis in my hands. And there are like thousands of them. Maybe I can get my daughter and granddaughter out here, but they work. And they live in Jacksonville, while I am in Starke most of the time. I would hate to call them out here just to squash bugs.

#45153 September 26th, 2006 at 10:50 PM
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Maybe take a paper towel and run it from the biggest or widest part, up the stem and see if it squishes them and keeps them in there and you don't need such a heavy grip to do so....

Or flop them off into a bucket of soapy water?
*I do that for Japanese Beetles*

#45154 September 26th, 2006 at 11:47 PM
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Jonnie,

Suggest you contact the extension office below and ask for advice. Ask for the extension officer, the IPM (integrated pest management) officer or the local Master Gardeners in that order.

Bradford County Cooperative Extension Office

2266 N. Temple Ave., Starke, FL 32091-1028

(904) 964-6280

#45155 September 27th, 2006 at 02:18 AM
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Good idea. I will try to get out there tomorrow. I didn't think about just doing that. My hands have been hurting lately and it just pains me to even think about having to grip and squish things.

And Temple Avenue is not too far, maybe when I go to the grocery store, I can go by there with my granddaughter. Even if I get rid of them I would like to know WHAT they are, and what to do next time.

Well, time to go mop the floor ... frown

#45156 September 27th, 2006 at 03:08 AM
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Even if I get rid of them I would like to know WHAT they are, and what to do next time.
It would help these people tremendously if you can bring samples of the bugs, either alive in a jar or dead in a see-through plastic bag. Be sure to write your name & phone number, in case you can't wait and they have to phone in the results to you at a later time.


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