Originally Posted by nillacobain

Thank you - I'll will check if my university has offers this service.

It looks a conifer bug. Are those trees in the pine family?

Originally Posted by CobaltBlu

It looks a conifer bug. Are those trees in the pine family?

Yes, there's a big pine in the back!

ETA: but I think that it belongs to the condo next to us?! I'll check in the morning. LOL

Here ya go: Western Conifer Seed Bug.
Leptoglossus occidentalis


You are not alone
http://italyhouse.wordpress.com/2011...ifer-seed-bug/

It looks like they are trying to control this invasive insect with an insect pathogen to kill them off. Definitely contact any agricultural authority you can, I saw there is an entomological forum in italian as well. If this is your bug, it is the one that has impacted the pine nut crop etc., and something they are actively trying to get rid of. Dont spray unless they tell you to, I imagine they dont want it to become resistant...

Here is an older article that describes their life cycle and advises about screening windows etc. There may be a new treatment or trap available since this artlcle...

http://entomology.cornell.edu/cals/e...r-Seed-Bug.pdf

Hopefully you will fine some help soon...

Originally Posted by nillacobain

Yes, there's a big pine in the back! ETA: but I think that it belongs to the condo next to us?! I'll check in the morning. LOL

SNAP! I knew it! Good luck, please update. I am sorry they are so annoying. I used to be like you, but then i lived in a pretty remote pacific island for two years and had no choice but to get over it

Oh, yes, they are a mess, i have heard of these. they hibernate and then go nuts when it turns warm....We dont have them here but i can imagine it would be horrible, my sister has seen that swarming situation, very disconcerting.

Glad its not the little ladybugs though.

Originally Posted by HauteMama

Asian lady beetles were non-native and were originally brought to the US to help control the aphid (and other insect) population. But as you indicated in your post, everything is interconnected, and these beetles have taken over like nobody's business. They have fewer natural predators here than they should, and they have proliferated like crazy. In the fall some years, they literally swarm and completely cover the south side of buildings, looking for ways inside to overwinter. I am not a fan of pesticides, either, and I choose to use none on my yard or in my garden. Nor do I use them every year on the house, but some years it is unbearable indoors unless we spray the house (just once normally does it), as the lady beetles get in, hibernate, and then wake up - indoors - in the spring. The house is full of them. We have been tightening up the outdoors more and more every year (new windows, new insulation, and we're planning on new siding soon), which helps, but not enough. Anyway, they are definitely not the same as native lady bugs - those adorable, beneficial and non-swarming red insects that are great for gardens! Indeed, I haven't seen a native lady bug since the infestation of the Asian lady beetles.

Originally Posted by CobaltBlu

Here ya go: Western Conifer Seed Bug. Leptoglossus occidentalis You are not alone http://italyhouse.wordpress.com/2011...ifer-seed-bug/ It looks like they are trying to control this invasive insect with an insect pathogen to kill them off. Definitely contact any agricultural authority you can, I saw there is an entomological forum in italian as well. If this is your bug, it is the one that has impacted the pine nut crop etc., and something they are actively trying to get rid of. Dont spray unless they tell you to, I imagine they dont want it to become resistant... Here is an older article that describes their life cycle and advises about screening windows etc. There may be a new treatment or trap available since this artlcle... http://entomology.cornell.edu/cals/e...r-Seed-Bug.pdf Hopefully you will fine some help soon...

Thank you for your help!

Living in Florida for so many years we have had our share of bugs. Hubby and I believe in doing everything organic and we will not use chemicals now. He has used different bug sprays that are from organic gardening catalogs since we get so many in our yard here and a good majority of them come from the neighbor's overgrown trees which looked like they have disease and fungus on them. One thing that has worked for me is to make a spray bottle of water and Dr. Bonners peppermint castile soap. I just spray it on the outside of all my windows and inside windows where the screens are facing outside. If there are any gaps in the screens you can always put duct tape or that thick silver electricians tape they use about duct work for air conditioners. That should make the gap disappear. I also wash the sliding doors with this peppermint cleanser spray and spray all the floor bottom door areas. At one time we had problems with ants and this got rid of them very quickly. It is a pain when you can't enjoy your outdoor area. Our last house here was across from 5 lots of protected wetlands and 9 houses from the bay=the mosquitoes were so bad that you literally could not sit in your backyard. Of course there was nothing that could be done to get rid of them since we lived in the wetlands area. I was so happy to move.
Perhaps some peppermint plants on the whole patio area might also help?

the black bugs that look like roaches, could they be boxelder bugs?? we have those really bad in the summer. same with asian beetles. and they LOVE LOVE LOVE the south side of buildings.

unfortunately there's not much you can do to get rid of them. when i lived in an apartment and the boxelder bugs were horrible they told me to spray around my windows with water and dawn dish soap.

thankfully i haven't had as much of an issue as when i lived in my last apartment because my door i go in and out of at my house faces the south. when i lived in my apartment i had to dash through the main door to the building and hope that none clinged to me. and i asked to relocate to an apartment that faced the north.

When it comes to bugs, remember, there's a lot more of them than there are of us. They say 'the meek shall inherit the Earth'. Naww -- it'll be the bugs.

We have the faux ladybugs too. They swarm during certain months, but you see strays more often. There's supposed to be a difference in the spots from the real ones.

This thread is giving me the heebie jeebies!

Originally Posted by CobaltBlu

Lady beetles? = ladybugs? The same? I am killing myself trying to attract them to my garden and make habitats for them. They are so rare here. OP, I am so sorry to hear about your bug situation. You mention the trees, it is possible that the trees are infested which is why they dont look well and why there is a bug problem at that side of your house? I dont know where you are but if there is a university around, there usually is an agricultural extension service that can help identify and deal with pests like this, first by identifying what they are precisely, and then helping you figure out what to do to decrease the problem: either by removing their habitat--in the case of rotting trees--- or providing you with the proper ways to deal with them at the source, or by using the most effective treatment. You might be able to attract them away from you home with something like dim garden lights, for example, if they are more active at night. Or you may be able to find a natural predator for them, as for example ladybugs are natural predators for aphids and control them better than any pesticide There may also be things you can plant in the garden that will discourage them...marigolds for example may turn them away somewhat. Or putting out a bird feeder may attract birds to your yard that will eat these bugs...lots of possiblities... Different pesticides target different kinds of insects, particularly if you are trying to use the environmentally friendly kinds of insect controls. Pest control companies often use a broad spectrum insecticide that kills EVERYTHING, which, yes, is terrible for the environment. Bugs are part of country life, believe me I know! But sometimes we have to choose our battles, it is impossible to just kill everything. Best to find a way to make some peace with at least some of them, particularly those that will not harm you. Spraying is not healthy for you either....and if your bug has a natural predator it will kill that too. And worse yet, can kill the bees that visit the gardens looking for food. Bees are already dwindling, so yes, I do take every opportunity to say lets not make things worse for them, we need them for 80% of our food crops and they are amazing. Anyway, hopefully you can target the insects that are making the most trouble for you. Oftentimes we dont understand that the insects are beneficial in the food chain, for example as food for bats or birds; or important for their control of other insects, too. If you must spray, please try to find someone who will help you target the kind of bug you have the most trouble with, not all of them. Perhaps with these beetles you will need to treat the soil.... There are LOTS of alternatives that do less harm than a broad spray of chemical insecticide. Even pyrethrins, while natural, is also a very broad killer. I hope you can find one that will help you feel at ease in your home. Good luck.

Great advice!

I love insects....arachnids, bugs... I think they are beautiful but I live in a forest and the ants will eat my house if I don't do something to control them.

I use diatomaceous earth and essential oils to control the insect population. Peppermint and cinnamon essential oils in Dr. Bronner's soap, as mentioned above, are good solutions.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diatomaceous_earth

I have a huge project ahead of me clearing the property of invasive non-native plants.

Back when I was a child and we lived in Texas (in the suburbs) there used to be seasonal insect migrations almost constantly. Once there were these little brown butterfly/moths that would fill up the sky like brown clouds. Everyone's cars were covered in them...smashed into grates and windshield wipers. And then another time it was monarch butterflies and again, they were absolutely everywhere to the point that they were hitting you in the face!!! I used to catch them but now as an adult I'd be weirded out!

But yeah, stink bugs, mosquitos, gnats, grasshoppers and lightning bugs were also prevalent. In those situations it definitely was nature doing its thing and I think in your situation, it's the same. You simply can't stop them from being around you all the time unfortunately. If your hubby is handy maybe he could screen in your terrace?

Bumping this thread. I finally managed to ID them. They are called "Arocatus melanocephalus" (elm bugs). The more I read on internet the more I discover that I'm not the only one with this problem. The whole north of Italy has this problem where elms are planted near buildings, homes, etc. There's no solution for the bugs themselves NOW because they are immune to most pesticides. You need to prevent them during winter time, treating elms. We're moving out of this damn appartment later this year, I can't really take this anymore. They just come inside, stick to clothes that are out drying in the sun, stick to your clothes, curtains, rugs. I live with CLOSED windows 24/7 and it's not easy with 30-35°C here (but still they come inside the homes because it's too hot ouside for them). I won't even walk by anywhere near my windows. I go to bed with the fear I find them in the sheets. I ask my DH to take out the clothes late at night and in early in the morning clothes and I spend hours when he takes them in to check out that every inch is free of bugs. I doesn't help that I'm clean clothes freak. I can't have another summer like last year's one. I really feel I'm going out of my head. This next Monday we have a condo owners meeting and now that I know what I'm not a crazy (not yet) person I'm going to talk about this to the others condo owners/tenats. Sorry about the long rant!

Wow, that is terrible!! I wonder if a simple spray of a little dish soap and water in a spray bottle would make them easier to get rid of in the house. That really is awful, NC

Originally Posted by CobaltBlu

Wow, that is terrible!! I wonder if a simple spray of a little dish soap and water in a spray bottle would make them easier to get rid of in the house. That really is awful, NC

Thank you Cobalt!

I read that you can only "mechanically" kill them now, since they are immune to pesticides. Last year I did spray the entire apt with pyrethrum several times, but I didn't have any results. You need to treat the elms during the winter.
I also read that a town here, only a few Kms far from us is invaded by elms bugs every summer since 2008. They are actually cutting elms down. I read that these elms were planted about 10 years ago to preserve the lagoon here but they are cutting the down nonetheless because people can not live locked up in their houses.