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What are these bugs?

13 years ago

I weeded a large garden planter that is attached to my deck this weekend and found an infestation of small red and black bugs in the soil. Interestingly, they were not present in any of the other three planters or any areas of the garden. All that was in the box was soil and the remains of last year's annuals--so they were not on any plants--just burrowing in the soil.

I didn't take a photo but was only able to come across one photo on the Internet. These are definitely the bugs.

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://ipm.ncsu.edu/current_ipm/06PestNews/06News6/Burrower%2520bug%2520nymphs.jpg&imgrefurl=http://ipm.ncsu.edu/current_ipm/06PestNews/06News6/pestnews.html&usg=__hlKNqgc8CO0EnBx6LWINPpU49WY=&h=374&w=560&sz=36&hl=en&start=7&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=_pV9aCFTr2sMxM:&tbnh=89&tbnw=133&prev=/images%3Fq%3D%2522bug%2Bnymphs%2522%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dsafari%26sa%3DN%26rls%3Den%26tbs%3Disch:1

I assume these are young, given our climate in the Catskills. I'm guessing just post-larval. I do not think that they are box elder bugs because they are round, not oval.

Can anyone identify this bug and give me some idea what kind of damage they can do?

Thanks in advance!

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Comments (4)

jean001
13 years ago
Umm. It says they're nymphs of burrower bugs.
anneboelyn
Original Author
13 years ago
Thanks, Jean. I see that.

Then a search on "burrower bug" clearly shows that a "burrower bug" is a description of many different types of bugs, not an actual specific bug. So "burrower bug" doesn't help me much, does it? No it does not--no more than someone describing a bug I'm trying to identify as a "flying bug" or a "crawling bug."

And to think: I was in Portland three weeks ago and thought everybody was so nice.

Again, can someone help me identify these bugs?
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look for its egg sacs ... it will look like someone used some expanding foam on one of your plants.. make sure you dont cut that down for winter.. and compost it ... leave it until late spring .. https://duckduckgo.com/?q=Tenodera+aridifolia+ess+sac&t=ffcm&iax=images&ia=images i presume they are beneficials in the garden .... ken
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rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
13 years ago
'Burrower' bug is a term much like 'stinkbug' or 'ladybug'. There are many different kinds but all with the same M.O. Jean's answer was perfectly correct.

I'd actually not be surprised at all if the insects seen by you were one of the much more commonly observed stinkbug nymphs. Many of them are very, very similar in this nymphal stage.

Here is a link that might be useful: Your specific burrower bug.
anitamo
13 years ago
rhizo and jean...I just wanted to say thanks for always going out of your way to share your knowledge on these boards. You (and so many others, too) just want to help... and do so without getting paid! I, for one, appreciate it. :)))

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