Discussions

Any idea what the pictured bug is?

boxelder bug.

Much appreciated. Second I've found, and wanted to know if I should be concerned. A bit of research says I should be ok.

more of a nuisance than anything.

Yep boxelder aka “maple bug” quite annoying things!

If they are disturbed they release a stink like a skunk.  
 
And if you squish them same thing.  
 
My kids when little loved catching and squish them. As they pop when you do it but the stink.  
 
If you get s lot in your house it is gross having them crawling everywhere

We have had two or three years of these all over the yard. Any warm spots on the siding of the house are covered and two trees we have are just red with these bugs. One tree is a very large old maple tree and has hundreds of these around the base and most of the way up the tree to a height of about 8feet from the ground .

I've been vacuuming them up with my cordless hand vac, and then emptying them into the garbage bin at the back of the yard...whether they get out of there or not, I don't know...They are swarming all over my deck, and the outside of my house..my little dog can't really play on the deck, because I have found a bug in her ear... I guess it's just nature, and they are not here all summer long, so I just put up with them...and try to minimize the quantity of them...