... or the things on Wood

[MarvinWatkins]

OK, first the disclaimer... This post is not exactly about WOOD.

But... it is about the things that live ON WOOD. I was recently playing with my daughter around one of our red maples. I had picked her up and set her on one of the lower branches. She loved it with the leaves in her hair and being taller than daddy. Life's good when you're three. Well, I went to move her to another branch when I saw something moving. After closer inspection, I decided we were done playing in the tree for the time.

Here is what I saw...

They seemed to congregate around pruning sites. The honeycomb looking area (an egg deposit?) is where I pruned a branch last season.

They aren't ticks, black widows, or brown recluse... does anyone have any idea what they are? My wife found one one her today and said that she thinks they are insects and not spiders. I guess the front two appendages are antenna, not legs.

Thanks and sorry for the tangential post.

 

[RandyJ]

Could be a Arilus cristatus, Sometimes referred to as a Wheelbug, or Assassin bug. You might want to check out this link.... http://bugguide.net/node/view/21729

They do bite, so check your daughter to be sure they didn't get her!!
Take care,

 

[MarvinWatkins]

That's my bug. Here is a pic from the BugGuide site:

Looks just like mine!!!

http://bugguide.net/node/view/3507

Thanks for the help!!!

 

[sapwood]

Neat pictures and thanks for adding to my insect knowledge:-D

But most importantly, I'm glad your daughter is safe :icon_thum

Sapwood

 

[jeff...]

Man those are some wild looking bugs... I've always said if you don't like bugs, don't move south... cause their everywhere around here. I'm trying to deal with an ant problem now. I'm almost thinking I must be living on a giant ant hill :cry:/./././.

 

[DaveT]

Gas works wonders...:idea: I had a bad fire ant problem a couple of years ago. I poured gas on the hills and have not seen fire ants back in my yard yet. I still have regular ants, but at least they are not fire ants (which I am allergic to).

 

[NCPete]

Man those are some wild looking bugs... I've always said if you don't like bugs, don't move south... cause their everywhere around here. I'm trying to deal with an ant problem now. I'm almost thinking I must be living on a giant ant hill :cry:/./././.

Move to the Sandhills area, and you do live on a giant anthill!:-( :-(

 

[jeff...]

DaveT[/left]]Gas works wonders...:idea: I had a bad fire ant problem a couple of years ago. I poured gas on the hills and have not seen fire ants back in my yard yet. I still have regular ants, but at least they are not fire ants (which I am allergic to).

I got em in the house, driving my wife and I crazy. There the little ants (sweet ants). I've tried just about everything that won't poison us, but they keep coming back for more. Put stuff around the entire foundation of the house too but they keep coming back for more. We always had a few here and there, but this year they are bad!

Any suggestions of how to rid these bad boys would be greatly

appreciated. I just hate using poison because of the family.
​

Thanks

 

[Gofor]

Two things I found living in Fl (plenty of the little critters)

1. Not necessarily environmentally friendly, but fire ants (as well as termites) Hate anything with a petroleum smell. A squirt of WD40 will cause them to move a nest, and they will not cross an area that has used motor oil or the like on it. (That goes for almost all ants)

2. Roach Proof (i.e Boric acid) mixed with bacon grease (or a meat product) and left in a jar cap by the nest will shut down the nest (not sure if it kills them) The fireants will ignore bait that has sugar (i'e tried maple syrup, etc) but are carnivorous, so will go after meat products. The maple syrup might work for the "sweet" ants.

It is my opinion that you don't kill them, they just move the nest. If you disturb the hill and threaten them, you will see the new queens flying away in a matter of minutes. The nests up here go deep, and if possible, go under a rainproof barrier ( sidewalk, driveway, stump, etc) where they are hard to get to.

If they are coming into the house, check for any damp areas in the house sideing, etc. I had them coming in the kitchen and found they had come up in the siding due to a small leak in the outside hose bib saturating the wood.

Fire ants do have a positive side: They like the same conditions as termites (damp wood, rotten stumps, etc) and will take over a termite nest, killing the termites. The problem I had with the hose bib was actually a blessing because the fire ants showed themselves where I could track them down and fix the problem, where the termites would have just eaten my wall away before I knew I had a problem.

My $.02 worth as I scratch the sting marks I got from helping my SIL by cutting her grass this weekend!!:lol: