Welcome to Colleen’s Corner. This is a column meant for fun and some information About myself: I am a Freelance Photographer you often see me on the side of the road or in various places taking photos of different things animals, birds, places, people etc. l have lived in Lumby for over 8 years, you have seen my photos in the newspaper (Lumby Valley Times) and once in awhile in the Vernon Morning Star, and the Lumby Art Gallery. Photography is my passion. Disclaimer: The information on some of my photos that I write about a lot of times come from the Internet or books I research them, hopefully the facts are as close to the truth as I can come.
By Colleen Fielding
The other day it was really nice outside. I went out to clean up the yard and the pine cones again, the pine cones are never ending, they get cleaned up, the wind comes and what do you know another thousand to clean up! Ok, maybe not really a thousand, I might have exaggerated but sometimes it seems like it.
After I tidied up the yard it was time to do so trimming on certain plants that like to be groomed in the spring. I tidied up the big one first in the large garden, then it was time to do the one against the wall on the trellis. When I moved the trellis from the wall there were all these bugs everywhere, ewwwwwwwwwww!
Western Boxelder Bugs.
I came in the house to find something to spray them with, I grabbed the stuff without reading the label first, just going by the colour of the bottle, big mistake! I sprayed the bugs and they all came flying at me, so gross. Thinking I had got them all off of me outside I came into the house to get something else to spray them with. To my shock a couple were still on the arms of my shirt, and in my hair. UGH, I shook them off and stepped on them. I made up a spray of dawn dish soap, a lot of vinegar, and water, I took it outside put on my hat, and gloves and sprayed the heck out of them, one by one they started to fall off of the wall and trellis, some of them were stubborn and had to be sprayed more than once or twice. Later when watching tv in the evening I found about eight more of the bugs, some of them were flying, some were crawling on my cupboards, I took my fly swatter to them. I got them all, they were no longer in my house. Whew!
The next day when I went out they were not on my wall or trellis anymore, TADA!
Western Boxelder Bugs is an almond shaped black insect with a red mark on its back. This bug is common in North America ranging from BC, California, Idaho, Utah, New Mexico, and Colorado.
I am not sure why they were in my yard as the food they eat is the seeds and fruits of maple, ash, apple pear, plum, almond, cherry, grape, kiwi, I don’t have any of these trees in my yard. I have heard from a few people that they have found these bugs in their yards this year as well, and they don’t have these trees either. Maybe it’s some kind of new infestation around here this year.
But I think they are all gone now, if not I will make up another concoction of dish soap, a lot of vinegar, and water. Maybe this will work on other bugs that I am sure will make their way into my yard during the warm weather this year.
It’s another beautiful day outside, a little chiller, but nice, time to get outside again and tidy some other things up.
