Bug infestation - Ask Extension
Hello! We have a cabin on the dry side of Hood River county (at around 2000 feet) and have an infestation of little bugs. They seem to remain dormant ...
Knowledgebase
Bug infestation #827733
Asked April 29, 2023, 6:18 PM EDT
Hello! We have a cabin on the dry side of Hood River county (at around 2000 feet) and have an infestation of little bugs. They seem to remain dormant until the heat comes on, then there’s a huge hatch and they die quickly. Now that it’s warm, there are tons of them. It appears they may be nesting between a wooden window sill and the window. They look like briwn flies and when they move, they buzz like a fly. I’m attaching some photos.
I am wondering whether you have any advice about how to manage these pests. They’re running rampant in the house! Thanks for your help.
Hood River County Oregon
Expert Response
Hi Louise,
That is a true bug (order Hemiptera). It looks like a "scentless" plant bug in the genus Arhyssus. I've heard these referred to by the common names grass bugs, grease bugs, Listerine bugs and homestead bugs. Here is a photo of one of these for comparison...
https://bugguide.net/node/view/1399457
I should note that most true bugs can produce odors, and although bugs in the genus Arhyssus are called scentless plant bugs due to the reduced size of their scent gland openings, they can produce a Listerine or Pine-Sol like odor that can be unpleasant.
Bugs like these do not bite people or pets and they do no damage to structures or household belongings, so that is great. They are referred to as nuisance pests. They can be be a lot of them, though, and they often enter buildings to find sheltered places to overwinter or to seek refuge during the hot dry summer. The ones you are seeing now probably got into your cabin in the fall, and they are becoming active again now that the weather is warming up.
Control measures for these kinds of nuisance pests include screening windows and caulking gaps to prevent these bugs from entering your house. Any of these bugs that do get indoors can be captured or vacuumed up and can be disposed of or released outdoors.
Insecticides will kill these insects if you spray them directly, but they don't affect any other individuals that you don't actually hit. For this reason, insecticides are not recommended to control these kinds of pests.
Hope that helps!
Yours
That is a true bug (order Hemiptera). It looks like a "scentless" plant bug in the genus Arhyssus. I've heard these referred to by the common names grass bugs, grease bugs, Listerine bugs and homestead bugs. Here is a photo of one of these for comparison...
https://bugguide.net/node/view/1399457
I should note that most true bugs can produce odors, and although bugs in the genus Arhyssus are called scentless plant bugs due to the reduced size of their scent gland openings, they can produce a Listerine or Pine-Sol like odor that can be unpleasant.
Bugs like these do not bite people or pets and they do no damage to structures or household belongings, so that is great. They are referred to as nuisance pests. They can be be a lot of them, though, and they often enter buildings to find sheltered places to overwinter or to seek refuge during the hot dry summer. The ones you are seeing now probably got into your cabin in the fall, and they are becoming active again now that the weather is warming up.
Control measures for these kinds of nuisance pests include screening windows and caulking gaps to prevent these bugs from entering your house. Any of these bugs that do get indoors can be captured or vacuumed up and can be disposed of or released outdoors.
Insecticides will kill these insects if you spray them directly, but they don't affect any other individuals that you don't actually hit. For this reason, insecticides are not recommended to control these kinds of pests.
Hope that helps!
Yours
