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Very few Shield Bugs this year


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Compared to the previous two winters I seem to have very few shield bugs in the house this winter. Normally they are a bit of a nuisance but relatively few. I remember there were loads and loads around outside early Oct. Maybe my memory is fading and they are active in the house later in the winter but I thought in previous years they were through most of the winter.

Anybody know of any reason for this or is it a “local thing”.

Ian

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[quote user="Deimos"]Compared to the previous two winters I seem to have very few shield bugs in the house this winter. Normally they are a bit of a nuisance but relatively few. I remember there were loads and loads around outside early Oct. Maybe my memory is fading and they are active in the house later in the winter but I thought in previous years they were through most of the winter. Anybody know of any reason for this or is it a “local thing”. Ian[/quote]

We had to eject several over the half term week in February. The weather didn't seem to make any difference to their activity, either, they were equally as active at 0 degrees as they were at 8 degrees later in the week.

They do smell odd when you pick them up, don't they?

Alcazar

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[quote user="Alcazar"]

They do smell odd when you pick them up, don't they?

Alcazar

[/quote]

They do seem to leave a disgusting smell on one’s fingers after touching them (which is why I often go through all sorts of balancing movements with bits of paper, etc. to “eject” them).

I still have a few around so they have not totally deserted me, just far fewer. In fact most of Feb none, just a few in the last couple of days (which made me notice their absence).

Ian

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they leave nasty stains on the new floorboards if you tread on them :)

I usually hoover them up, as we had thousands of them in the attic we're (still) in the process of converting!

Only 65 m2 yet I filled the Dyson several days running :(
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Have you checked in the folds of curtains that have been left unclosed

over winter? We found loads clustered together there last year. Also in

the frames of windows which haven't been opened for a while. I wonder

if they are hibernating ? Pat.

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Punaises. No, they are not some kind of woodworm beetle, but they do include a large number of insects, not all of which are shield bugs, many of them look nothing like shield bugs and some of them are aquatic. I think there are about 40 odd different "shield bugs" including the "gendarmes" mentioned on the Fungus thread. All are completely harmless to humans and buildings apart from the smell if you can count that as harmful.

I can't say that I've noticed a decrease in numbers this winter of the types that come indoors, I've found them crawling around the house from time to time.

 

A lot of people call shield beetles "stink bugs", I wonder why?

 

Chris

 

 

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I usually have them buzzing round my head when I'm sitting typing. They seem to like my office!

I've never noticed a smell and they often crawl over my fingers. I think they are cute. However, one of my cats tried to eat one when he was young and went completely crazy, foaming at the mouth. They obviously don't taste very nice!

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  • 3 weeks later...
I only notice the smell when I touch them, then the smell is on your fingers. Its not like a smell when they are just around the place.

A few have started “coming out” recently but nothing like the numbers in the house in previous years for me.

Ian
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