The bugs feed on the developing seeds and early flowers of different species of conifers. Researchers report that females lay rows of eggs on needles of the host trees that hatch in about 10 days. Young nymphs then begin to feed on tender cone scales and sometimes the needles. The nymphs are orange and brown, becoming reddish-brown to brown as they develop. Nymphs pass through five stages and reach adulthood by late august.
Adults feed on ripening seeds until they seek overwintering quarters.
Eliminate or caulk gaps around door and window frames and soffits, and tighten up loose fitting screens, windows or doors are ways to prevent these insects from getting into your home. Presently, we have no pesticides that are specifically registered for control of this leaf-footed bug. The range of the western conifer seed bug has been expanding. The first observation of this insect in New Hampshire was in 1997. This species was first described in 1910 from California, and was reported in Iowa in 1956.