Ticks, Stink Bugs, More Spring Insects Bound For Wisconsin

WISCONSIN — Spring is almost here in Wisconsin, which means annoying insects will return: Wasps, stink bugs and ticks are some of the pests that will return to the Midwest as temperatures rise. To top it off, an invasive species of needle ants with a painful sting were spotted in Indiana after making their way up from Southern states.

At least we're not in the Eastern Seaboard, where scientists say giant, parachuting spiders could spread across the coast.

A cast of cult hero insects rolled out in the early 2020s, from 2020's murder hornets and 2021's periodic cicadas that also made a tasty snack. Wisconsin has been spared from most of these bizarre creatures so far, but the onset of spring could leave the possibility of invasive monster bugs up in the air ... literally.

The 2022 Freak-Out Bug

This year, people are freaking out about the 3-inch Joro spider that dropped into sight in Georgia in 2013. And why not? They’re huge, jumping spiders with a unique ability to “parachute” to new locations by using their webs to “ride the wind” to other locations.

Freak out in the best possible way about these. Spiders are good little (if little can be used to describe such a giant of its species) critters. Superb predators, arachnids are a biological weapon against other insects and pests around the house, yard, garden and crops.

The bottom line: Learn to live with Joro spiders. They’re not doing any harm, says Andy Davis, one of the authors of the study predicting their spread up the East Coast and a research scientist at the University of Georgia’s Odum School of Ecology. They do no harm and may even serve as a food source for birds. “The way I see it,” said study co-author Benjamin Frick, an undergrad, “there’s no point in excess cruelty, when it’s not needed.”

“You have people with saltwater guns shooting them out of the trees and things like that, and that’s really just unnecessary,” he said.

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, recently found 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.

These opportunistic ants are waking up now, ahead of other ant species, and may already be making life generally difficult for other ants by a) eating them alive, b) eating their food or c) making a coup on their nests.

The bottom line: The world needs ants. They aerate the soil, creating underground channels for water and oxygen plants need to reach their roots and grow. Asian needle ants are bad actors, though. Get rid of them.

The extension service in North Carolina recommends several commercially available insecticide baits, cautioning that it’s important first to confirm you’re dealing with Asian needle ants and not a beneficial species and also warning against broadcast applications.

Become A Backyard Stink Bug Warrior

The brown marmorated stink bugs that sneaked 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.)

In Wisconsin, these brown-shelled mini-beasts were found first in agriculture crops in the state in 2016, according to the National Institute of Food and Agriculture. The bugs can travel great distances to reach crops to gnaw on and usually invade homes looking for a warm place for winter.

Stink bugs are considered an agricultural and nuisance problem in the Badger State.

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

Also awakening at this time of year are all manner of insect species — some you’ll be happy to see, but others that are a nuisance or could outright kill you, or at least make you very sick.

Let’s talk ticks.

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: Dangerous But 'Rare' Deer Tick Virus Found In More PA Counties

Tick bites requiring ER visits are most common in the Northeast, accounting for 104 of every 100,000 emergency department visits, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the Midwest, 34 of every 100,000 emergency room visits was for a treatment following a tick bite.

Lyme disease cases had an uptick across the state the late 2010s, and there were 3,076 cases reported in 2020, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services reported.

The bottom line: Protect against tick bites with anti-tick repellants 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 ticks hosts — such as deer, raccoon and stray dogs — go a long way toward keeping ticks at bay.

If you have opossums in your area, and many places with the type of habitat that attracts ticks in abundance, they’re your friends. These marsupials devour ticks at an amazing rate; however, a 2021 study threw shade on the myth that opposums 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 UN’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 doesn't have any legislation ready to protect pollinating insects, according to the NCSL.

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.