Boxelder bugs in Doug Fir bark - Ask Extension
Three large Doug firs are infested with stink bugs. They cover the bark and have made their way into the bark in an nook that can find. Im not exagger...
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Boxelder bugs in Doug Fir bark #813670
Asked October 08, 2022, 11:59 PM EDT
Three large Doug firs are infested with stink bugs. They cover the bark and have made their way into the bark in an nook that can find. Im not exaggerating when I say there aren’t any thousands of them. Can they damage the firs? Thank you.
Clackamas County Oregon
Expert Response
Thank you for your question, Ryan. Stink bugs and box elder bugs are different species, and neither harm the plant. Insects that penetrate the bark are neither of these. Could you please send a clear, up close photo of one or two, so we can ID them, and then advise? Thanks!
Hi,
Sorry took me awhile to be home during daylight. Only found two today, much less than the thousands when I contacted you. Maybe because I hosed down the for bark?
Thanks! Definitely box elder bugs, which are nuisance pests. The population has probably decreased due to the water spray. The holes in the bark are probably caused by one of the boring insects described here: https://extension.oregonstate.edu/forests/health-managment/douglas-fir-insect-pests#:~:text=Flatheaded%20wood%20borers%20(Buprestids)%2C,of%20recent%20large%2Dtree%20death.
As the article indicates, wood peckers may have enlarged the holes seeking out the insects. I hope this is helpful.
As the article indicates, wood peckers may have enlarged the holes seeking out the insects. I hope this is helpful.
