The Good And The Bad: Insects Crawling Out From Winter In Wisconsin

WISCONSIN — As springtime emerges across Wisconsin, the flowers will bloom, the grass will green, and the leaves will return to the trees. And just like us humans seeking to get out of the house at the first feeling of warmth, the insects will come wriggling out of wherever they hid for winter.

The small six- or eight-legged creatures (many of which are beneficial) will return, ready to replenish their populations. For some bugs, their return is a welcome endeavor, and essential to our ecosystem. For others that pose a genuine threat to fruit and vegetable crops, and the ones that are quite stinky, their demise would probably be better for everyone before they cause harm.

Distinguishing exactly which bugs should be reported (or destroyed, even)—and which should be admired and respected—can sometimes be difficult, though. For one, there can be uncertainty about where exactly some invasive species have spread. Fortunately in Wisconsin, we have guidance on what to keep our eyes out for.

Here are some bugs to know and what to do about them:

Caterpillars that can eat an entire tree's leaves:

One bug that has become established in some parts of Wisconsin is the spongy moth. In March, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources encouraged landowners across the state to keep their eyes out for the defoliating caterpillars' brownish egg masses.

Parts of the state are under aerial and local spraying programs to curtail the moth's spread. You can also help by looking for signs of their eggs. The creatures thrive in warm, dry weather, but even average weather this spring and summer could further their outbreak, according to the DNR.

They like to feed on lots of plants, but they do tend to prefer oak, birch, crabapple, aspen, willow and linden trees, the DNR said. Property owners can keep an eye out in the spring for their tan-colored egg-mass lumps that are the size of a nickel or quarter found on trees, buildings and outdoor objects.

See also: How Wisconsinites Can Help Curb The Spread Of The Invasive Spongy Moth

New egg masses will be firmer and darker than older ones, which are spongy and faded. If you find signs of them and want to destroy them yourself, the DNR warned people to thoroughly destroy the egg masses. You can't just crush them, but instead have to spray them with a special horticulture oil, or by soaking them in soapy water for a couple of days before tossing them in the trash. But avoid harming the bark of a tree, the DNR said.

The Bug To Squish In 2023

There’s no need to squish most bugs, but when it comes to the spotted lanternfly, stomp away. That’s if you don’t get them now, while they’re still in the egg stage.

Although not considered established in Wisconsin, the spotted lanternfly has been spotted in states as close as Indiana and Michigan, and experts predict it will spread westward. To prevent that from happening, the Wisconsin DNR encouraged people to stay vigilant amid some close calls.

These insects, whose presence has been confirmed in 14 states and reported in many others rival butterflies in beauty when they’re adults, but don’t get attached. They’re a menace, posing a serious threat to the nation’s grape, orchard and logging industries, according to the Agriculture Department.

The bottom line: During spring lawn cleanup, keep your eyes peeled for spotted lanternfly egg masses. Each female is believed to lay at least two egg masses, which can produce 50 or so insects.

See also: How To Help Defend Wisconsin Against The Spotted Lanternfly

By now, egg masses will have faded from glossy white to gray or brown, and they’re about an inch and a half long. If you find an egg mass, snap a photo and report it to your state’s agriculture department, scrape off the egg masses with a knife or old credit card, put them in a plastic zippered bag filled with alcohol or hand-sanitizer and dispose of the sealed bag in the garbage.

In a few weeks, spotted lanternfly nymphs will hatch. They’ll be adults by mid-summer, and that’s when to squish lanternflies, before they can deposit more eggs. “Harming our city's wildlife is prohibited, but in an effort to slow the spread of this troublesome species, we are putting out a one-time call: If you see a spotted lanternfly, please squish and dispose of this invasive pest,” the New York City Parks Department said last August.

Become A Backyard Stink Bug Warrior

The brown marmorated stink bugs that snuck into your house last fall are preparing to leave and replenish their species. It’s tempting to let these jerks leave just as stealthily. (Stink bugs can rightly be called jerks because, once outside, they’re free to satisfy their voracious appetites by chewing through fruit groves and ornamental plants.)

For some in Wisconsin, the stink bugs are a menace. If you have a particularly bad infestation, you might notice the ground appearing to move. They can be a difficulty around any time of the year, but there are some ways to keep them at bay from your home and yard.

See also: Stink Bugs In WI: How To Stop Them Before They Smell Up Your Home

When you see them in your house at this time of year, be careful. Be very careful. Vacuum them up or sweep them right out the door if you have to, but do so as surreptitiously as possible because, when frightened, stink bugs emit a smell that will frighten you.

If you do vacuum stink bugs, be sure to replace the bag immediately. If you have a bagless model, rinse the dust canister with vinegar.

The bottom line: Become a backyard stink bug warrior. Capturing them in commercially available traps is one option, but there also are several environmentally sound ways to tell them to bug out.

The Farmers’ Almanac points out that garlic repels stink bugs. They also don’t like mint — crush some dried mint around where you see them congregate; but mint is invasive, so be careful about where you plant it. Sunflowers and marigolds attract beneficial insects that enjoy a buffet of stink bug eggs and larva. Sprinkle food-grade diatomaceous earth under and on leaves of all fruits and vegetables resting on the ground. Or just make an anti-stink-bug potion with mild, soapy water made from dish dishwashing liquid, and spray it directly on the bugs.

Out For Blood

If spring is as rainy as forecasters predict in Wisconsin, expect an abundance of these bloodthirsty insects and, subsequently, tick-borne illnesses, such as Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever and a few others.

Related: Tick-Borne Babesiosis Is Found Almost Everywhere | As ER Visits For Bites Spike, Tick-Borne Illnesses To Watch

Tick bites requiring ER visits are most common in the Northeast, accounting for 48 of every 100,000 emergency department visits in April, up from 19 of every 100,000 visits in March, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

In the Midwest, 10 of every 100,000 emergency room visits in April was for a treatment following a tick bite.

The bottom line: Protect against tick bites with anti-tick repellents for humans and pets. Chemical lawn treatments offer some protection, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says, but shouldn’t be considered your only line of defense against ticks. Landscaping, keeping the lawn neat and trim, and discouraging tick hosts — such as deer, raccoon and stray dogs — go a long way toward keeping ticks at bay.

If you have opossums in your area, they’re your friends. These marsupials devour ticks at an amazing rate; however, a 2021 study threw shade on the myth that opossums like ticks. They are fastidious groomers, and eat them almost by accident as they’re cleaning themselves up after ambling around the woods looking for something more delicious. Opossums eat worms, insects, rodents and such, but also berries, nuts, grains and, maybe, your vegetable garden.

Let It Bee

On the friendlier side of the insect world, queen bees will be looking for a quick meal in your flowers. They’re important pollinators. In fact, bees pollinate 75 percent of the food consumed by humans worldwide, according to the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization.

Honeybees are in trouble. Their populations are declining around the world, and it’s up to us to do something about it. When you’re planting your garden or landscaping this year, lean into plants that encourage bees.

Here’s a fun fact: Bees see color and love yellow, purple, blue and white flowers, making echinacea, snapdragon, hostas and wildflowers excellent garden choices, according to Country Living, which has a list of 20 flowering plants bees love.

At least 28 states have enacted laws to save pollinators, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. The laws generally fall into five categories: research, pesticides, habitat protection, beekeeping and public awareness. Wisconsin has not enacted law, however, on the matter.

Still, the state's Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection leads the Pollinator Protection Plan, which is geared at educating people on keeping bees and other important pollinators safe and stable.

Find out more about helping save pollinators in Wisconsin on the DATCP website.

The bottom line: Unless they’re causing damage with nests built on chimneys or in wall cavities, or if someone in your household is highly allergic to bees, let bees be bees.

In cases where they do have to go, don’t kill them. Call a professional extermination company with the clothing and equipment to remove and relocate the bees without irritating them.

You Had Us At ‘Needle’

Let’s talk about the Asian needle ant, though. It probably won’t kill you if you’re stung by one of these insects, found last year in Evansville, Indiana. In rare instances, the ant’s venom can be lethal to people who have reactions to insect bites and stings. For the most part, though, the most severe reaction from a sting is a feeling of “pins and needles” that can persist for a couple of weeks.

Though established and well-traveled in the South since the 1930s, it’s never made it this far north. Members of this species of ant have also taken up residence in Kentucky.

Purdue University entomologist Timothy Gibb told the Indianapolis Star the Asian needle ant’s stinger and venom sac give it a place of honor among Indiana ants. None of the others in the Hoosier state have stingers.

“Other ants will bite,” Gibb told the Star, “but this is really new.”

The Asian needle ant typically lives in wooded areas but also crawls inside homes when temperatures chill. Ants are pretty good characters overall. But Asian needle ants infest residential, commercial and school kitchens and pilfer food, increasing the likelihood you’ll be stung with the venom, according to North Carolina State University Extension Service.