Unfortunately, many of the protected places they also seek are cracks, crevices, and voids around homes and other buildings. Research has found that they prefer light colors on houses, particularly white. Kudzu bugs are often observed around window trim, doorframes, gutters, and sunlit areas that are often brightly colored Figure 4. During the spring, kudzu bugs become active again and move from their sheltered areas to search for suitable host plants for feeding and reproduction.
They are often observed aggregating on numerous kinds of plants during the spring while waiting for their preferred hosts to leaf-out. Large numbers of kudzu bugs are a nuisance in and around structures. Their body secretions produce a foul odor and can stain fabrics and wall coverings. Directly handling kudzu bugs can cause staining of the skin and even blistering and moderate discomfort in some sensitive individuals.
In the fall, large numbers of kudzu bugs will move from kudzu and other plants to find sheltered locations for overwintering.
Cutting back kudzu patches or even other plants such as wisteria that can be removed before the fall should help reduce kudzu bugs around the home. Kudzu bugs are good fliers, so they may move to a house or structure from plants outside of the property area.
Sealing as many cracks and crevices as possible on structures will help prevent kudzu bugs from entering structures. Screens will also help prevent kudzu bug entry. It is important to make sure soffit vents and peak vents on homes have good screening in addition to window and door screening. Large numbers of kudzu bugs found indoors should be vacuumed, not sprayed. Avoid crushing them to prevent their body secretions from staining fabrics or wall coverings. If possible, use a shop vacuum rather than a conventional vacuum.
Kudzu bug odor may linger in a conventional vacuum. A shop vacuum with some soapy water 1 to 2 tablespoons of dish soap per gallon of water in the canister will kill the bugs. After use, the soapy water should be discarded. If a regular vacuum with a bag is used, discard the bag after vacuuming. Most insecticides available to homeowners will kill kudzu bugs. If you are spraying vegetation, make sure you use a product that is labeled for treating plants. If you spray your home, make sure you use a product that is labeled for structural use.
Spray outdoor surfaces where kudzu bugs are likely to land, or directly spray bugs on your house before they move into recessed areas. In the spring, they feed extensively in kudzu patches and on other legume hosts. In July-August, they will move into soybeans where they feed on stems and foliage and can have a significant impact on crop yields. The bugs continue to feed and lay eggs into the fall on kudzu, late-planted soybeans, and other hosts.
As these host plants start to decline along with temperatures and day length, kudzu bugs seek out sheltered areas where they can pass the winter, such as under bark or rocks, or in leaf litter, etc Figure 4. They are most common along the edges of kudzu patches and soybean fields and in areas near residential areas, we can expect to see them invade homes simiilar to the behavior of another nuisance pest - the Asian lady beetle. The bugs will often congregate on light-colored surfaces such as siding, fascia boards, etc.
They will then move under siding, or into gaps around doors and windows, or through penetrations such as around air condtioning and water pipes. The following spring, the bugs become active again and begin moving onto kudzu and other early-season host plants, particularly wisteria. Those bugs that overwintered inside homes e. Outdoors, they may also land on siding and deposit their eggs on non-plant surfaces such as brick, vinyl, and other siding materials.
Kudze bugs pose a problem for residences in both the spring and fall. In late September and into October. Homes near soybean fields or patches of kudzu are more likely to be invaded by the kudzu bug; however, they are strong fliers and readily move from other overwintering areas.
Similarly, the following spring will bring activity as the bugs respond to warming temperatures and look for food sources such as wisteria and kudzu. Although most common household insecticides will kill the bugs on direct contact, control of the kudzu bug by treating the exterior of homes is unlikely to succeed for several reasons.
First, most people do not have the proper equipment to apply an insecticide to areas high up on their homes where the bugs may congregate. Second, because the insects are actively feeding even in the fall, their movement to or from these plantings may take place over several weeks which means several applications e.
Common home-use products contain "pyrethroid" insecticides such as permethrin, bifenthrin, or lamda-cyhalothrin look on the product label at the "Active Ingredients" and the chemical name likely ends in "thrin". Wettable powder formulations of the pesticides that you mix with water may produce "better" results although they will still not prevent the bugs from invading homes , but these products require mixing in a sprayer and many people prefer "ready-to-use" products.
If you use a wettable powder, remember to shake the sprayer periodically so the chemical doesn't settle out. Also, wettable powders may leave a whitish film on the treated surface which be unwanted in very conspicuous areas. When using insecticides, always read and follow the directions for use on the product label.
Some important safety tips:. Read the pesticide labels carefully because many of the common products no longer allow for broadcast exterior treatments i. Be careful when spraying near ponds and other bodies of water and near hard surfaces such as sidewalks or driveways where the chemical is more likely to run into storm drains after heavy rainfall.
Pesticides have limited ability to stop the bugs from entering homes. Long-term control also requires an effort to seal gaps and openings such as around plumbing and AC lines to prevent the bugs from entering home.
Vacuum up the insects and then place the vacuum bag or contents into a trash bag and freeze the bag for several days. You can also drop the bugs into soapy water to kill them. If you simply dump the live insects outdoors, they will likely end up back inside or surviving somewhere else around your property.
During the warm summer months, people do not see the bugs. Once fall temperatures start dropping, kudzu bugs congregate in massive numbers on sun-exposed surfaces to warm themselves. Once indoors, they do not feed or reproduce. They are dormant during the winter, unless there is a warm day, and will vacate the building with the warmth of the spring.
The mass sightings of the adults is the most disturbing sign for homeowners. If large numbers are disturbed, they can produce a strong odor. Host plants also may show sign of damage as the bugs feed. Kudzu bugs have become another overwintering pest alongside boxelder bugs , stink bugs and multicolored Asian lady beetles. Having potentially thousands of bugs crawling throughout the home is a traumatic experience for homeowners.
The bugs also have an alarming chemical defense. When disturbed they release an unpleasant smell. One bug is slightly smelly but it can be quite pungent when large numbers release the chemical.
Kudzu bugs are a type of insect known as a true bug because of their semimembranous wing type and piercing sucking mouth parts. Mouth : Many people mistake them for beetles, but they can easily be differentiated by their beaklike piercing sucking mouthparts.
0コメント