Talk:Boxelder bug

message: It seems this article does not cite any references.  This seems unwikiepdia-like.--Catch153 (talk) 04:41, 23 February 2009 (UTC)
thread_title: References?

message: These statements that "They rarely bite humans" and  cause "enormous swelling of the infected area" need substantiation.  The sources I've seen online say they don't bite ( ) or cause minor irritation, .  Did the user have an extreme, but atypical, reaction?
They bite?! no
"Box Elder bugs do not bite, but their piercing-sucking mouth parts can sometimes puncture skin, causing slight irritation."
http://www.pestproducts.com/boxelderbugs.htm
Who reverted it back to the way it was? Why? The old version is obviously not true. I guess I'll change it back.
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I have had a personal experience with box elder bugs "biting"...and have been observing them for approximately 15 years (so this is nothing scientific, merely my personal experience). The site where the bugs pierce the skin (or "bite") swells, is very itchy and red...and lasts for many days if not treated. The best thing I have found to treat these "bites" is a paste of baking soda reapplied heavily for several times consecutively. The sooner the treatment is begun, the less trouble it causes me.  I'm assuming that whatever the bug uses to break down the tissue of the plant it is sucking juices from when it pierces it may be the cause of my reaction. 
The bugs at our house not only clump together on our siding, but they make huge bunches on our box elder trees (usually the younger bugs show up this way....they're much redder since their wings haven't developed fully).
When we first began sharing our home with them in winter, they were interesting and sometimes amusing...and seemed more like "pets" since they did no harm. They moved slowly and often swam in my coffee cup. Approximately 5 years into this "sharing" of our home, I was awakened one night with a painful "bite" on my hand. I searched for a spider....found none. What I DID find was a box elder bug (and didn't believe it was the culprit since I didn't think they would DO such a thing! I put up with it for about a week of itchiness taking Benadryl and applying Campho Phenique. The next time it happened, I actually smashed the bug in my hand to capture whatever it was...so KNEW it was a box elder bug. After several of these encounters I finally tried some baking soda on the area and it seemed to provide the most relief. I'm sharing this because hopefully it will help somebody else deal with this weird bug behavior when they get "bitten". This is where I looked....but only heard they don't bite....ha.  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 173.119.107.142 (talk) 15:24, 6 October 2009 (UTC)
thread_title: Biting

message: This page needs to be free-standing under the title "Box Elder Bug." "Maple Bug" should redirect there. I'm not sure what corner of the world calls these beauties "maple bugs", but it's an obscure colloquialism at best.
: A google image search for both terms in quotes turns up a ridiculous amount more for Box Elder Bug. Hazelorb 03:49, 25 April 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: I agree.  I have only ever heard these called "Boxelder Bugs".  Jpwrunyan 20:31, 1 September 2007 (UTC)
replies: text:  Agreed here as well. The citations on the page give "boxelder bug" as the primary name. Bill Holm's book is "Boxelder Bug Variations," not "Maple Bug Variations." I'll make the change, if I can figure out how. !melquiades 20:31, 1 October 2007 (UTC)

text: The formally recognized common name given to this species by the Entomological Society of America in its "Common Names of Arthropods and Other Organisms" hand book (now a Web site) is "boxelder bug." It is also the name given to this species on the Integrated Taxonomic Information System Web site at http://www.itis.gov/index.html. Trfasulo (talk) 16:16, 8 August 2008 (UTC)
thread_title: Rename?

message: As soon as I can figure out how to do it, I'm going to make a free-standing page Boisea trivittata and have "maple bug" and "boxelder bug" redirect to it. I think this "democrat bug" designation is incorrect an unsupported by any literature or cites, and I'm removing it. (It's been tagged for long enough as needing cite).
Please let me know if anyone objects to my plans.Nickrz 12:56, 28 September 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: David Keith, Extension Entomology Specialist, May 23, 2001, gives Democrat Bug as one of its colloquial names. He also says, "While the bugs can and do bite people, this is very unusual." He does not call it a maple bug, but that is what I was looking for when I wound up here. Also, Carla Offenburger says, "Chuck, incidentally, calls box elder bugs by the name they have always had in Page County, where he grew up in southwest Iowa: “Democrat bugs.” If indeed they’re Democrats, I’d be happy if they could all vote in the upcoming election." Pawyilee 17:03, 5 October 2007 (UTC)
thread_title:  Rename / redirect 

message: "These bugs have good eye-sight, and tend to run, fly or disperse when approached.
...
A small strip of duct tape can also be an effective way of killing these insects, as they seldom will fly away when approached."
So, which is it?  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 4.224.252.126 (talk) 09:35, 16 July 2008 (UTC)
thread_title:  Do [not] fly away when approached 

message: Odd that there's nothing mentioning the sickly sweet smell they give off. - Dave C.talk | Esperanza 03:42, 22 October 2009 (UTC)
replies: text: They stink 2601:8C0:C000:6080:3110:1D22:D340:D2B5 (talk) 08:27, 11 August 2023 (UTC)
thread_title: Stink?

message: It surprised me to find an article about an insect for which over half of it was how to kill them. I think this pest control aspect should be separated out from the rest of the article into a new section. Also, it would be nice to incorporate some control methods that didn't involve killing them. Perhaps, measures that would prevent the box elder from entering the building or using it as a hibernation location.
Samcapasso (talk) 19:09, 12 December 2009 (UTC)
thread_title:  Sections 

message: This page is mostly about the innocent slaughter of the insects and how to go about doing it. I know these bugs are not that important and a large article isn’t necessary, but “infestation treatment”—as I so crudely titled it—is a bit cliché in the sense that the article explain very little about the bug, and a lot about how to murder it. We need an expert on Box Elder Bugs! Haha! I suppose we need more information about the bug itself. This page is bug genocide. Andrew Colvin (talk) 04:27, 17 February 2010 (UTC)
replies: text: Tis true, but really, so what? Kevin (talk) 00:08, 31 December 2010 (UTC)
thread_title:  Murder 

message: I would like to know how long Box elder bugs live. From just reading the articale, it sounds like they live for  atleast 1 year.
:Feel free to research this and add to the article citing your sources. Andrew Colvin (talk) 21:02, 2 May 2010 (UTC)
thread_title:  Lifespan 

message: I would like to see a map of their world distribution. — Anita5192 (talk) 18:05, 13 November 2011 (UTC)
thread_title:  Distribution 

message: The following links might make good sources for article content but they are inappropriate for the external links section:
* Detailed species account of Boisea trivittata
* Boxelder Bugs. Jeffrey Hahn and Mark Ascerno
* Box Elder Bug Entry at Colorado State University Cooperative Extension
* MF2580 Boxelder and Red-Shouldered Bugs: Home and Horticultural Pests
* SP341-H Boxelder Bugs and Red-Shouldered Bugs
Jojalozzo 03:53, 12 June 2014 (UTC)
thread_title:  Inappropriate external links 

message: 'The boxelder bug is sometimes confused with Jadera spp., or its western counterpart, Boisea rubrolineata.'
The Boisea rubrolineata (The Western Boxelder Bug) is still in the same subfamily as Boisea trivittata (The Eastern Boxelder Bug), and is also called the Box elder bug. How can one confuse a Boxelder Bug with a Boxelder bug?  — Preceding unsigned comment added by Attelabus (talk • contribs) 03:00, 8 October 2014 (UTC)
thread_title:  Boisea trivittata and Boisea rubolineata are both Boxelder bugs 

message: Maybe i'm being mildly alarmist, however i'm concerned about the reading level of this article. It seems that an encyclopedic entry on something as commonplace (in parts of the world) as the boxelder bug perhaps shouldn't contain words that are only likely to be found in higher level reading sources. Perhaps i'm poorly educated, but i needed to reach for the dictionary twice perusing this article.
Once for "redolent" and once for "conspecifics". Conspecifics is perhaps worse, as it's a link to another article where it was essentially a sidebar to the main article and thus I needed to read quite a ways down to find that it meant "other members of their species". I judged even that interpretation as possibly inadequate until following another link in the article on Biological Specificity to Sperm precedence. 
I'm all about falling down the wikipedia hole, but usually it's motivated by interest in related subject matter, not the lack of easily understandable writing. Do i need to go down that hole to understand that the boxelder bugs might come into my house looking for food, water, and mates/friends?
--Takophiliac (talk) 19:46, 14 September 2017 (UTC)
replies: text: Agreed. Wikipedia guidelines state an article geared towards the general public needs to be worded in a way the general public (i.e., general reader) can easily comprehend. A lot of text within Wikipedia animal articles is simply copied and pasted from research papers (plagiarized...) Situation remedied. – Down time (talk) 19:26, 27 April 2018 (UTC)
thread_title:  Terminology guidelines? 

message: I live in Dayton Ohio, it is very cold, 43° daytime 27° nighttime. I would like to know what I can do to help this Boxelder bug.
 
I have some plants in my home, Ivy’s, Christmas, cactus, small, OXALISO, philodendrons.
Your help would be welcomed or any suggestions.
Sincerely
Beverly Houck 2603:6010:B223:3600:F46D:AA28:2B63:D2B8 (talk) 03:41, 10 January 2023 (UTC)
thread_title:  Box elder bug in My Home