Long-horned beetles swarm Fairbanks, bringing painful bites
Published Friday, July 4, 2008
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Stumble It!FAIRBANKS — With their long antennae, stout mandibles and dark, black bodies, they resemble Darth Vader, and this summer they seem to be invading Alaska’s second-largest city.
They are whitespotted sawyers — wood-boring, long-horn beetles that are getting under the skin of some Fairbanksans.
“I’ve had 16 calls in six days,” Diane Claassen, pest management technician at the Alaska Cooperative Extension Service said earlier this week. “In a normal year, I might get four or five calls about long-horn beetles.”
One man called because he was painting his house and the beetles were raising havoc by landing on the fresh paint. Another man called because they were swarming around his firewood pile, and he was concerned about starting a breeding ground for the insects. Other callers want to know if the beetles will kill trees.
Most people, though, just want to know what the bugs are, how to get rid of them and what to do about bites, Claassen said.
“They do bite and they bite hard,” Claassen said, speaking from experience. “Almost everyone who has called me says they’ve been bitten or they know somebody that has been bitten.
“I always tell people to keep them off you and keep them off kids,” she said.
•••
Some people call the beetles “pincher bugs,” she said. They are also known as Japanese beetles, and one woman told Claassen should knew them as “whisker bugs” when she was a child.
Other than their nasty bite, though, the beetles are basically harmless, Claassen said. They don’t kill trees because they target only dead or dying trees to deposit their eggs, she said. The beetles lay their eggs under the bark and the larvae bore their way into the sapwood to spend the winter before emerging as adult beetles the following summer.
Not only do the beetles appear to be more plentiful this summer, they also seem to have arrived early. They usually don’t start appearing until early July, Claassen said.
The beetles have “little claws” on their feet, said Derek Sikes, curator of insects at the UA Museum of the North, which makes them difficult to shake sometimes. He compared the claws to the barbs on a fish hook.
“If you pull them quickly, it’s like a fish hook getting stuck in your clothing,” Sikes said. “They’re very good at holding on.”
The beetles are especially noticeable on warm days, Claassen said.
“They’re more active when it’s hot,” she said. “That’s when we get the most calls about them, after a hot weekend.”
The beetles are attracted to humans because we stand upright, just like trees, and they don’t have great eyesight, Claassen said.
“They zone in on vertical things,” she said. “They think you’re a tree. As you move, they’ll follow you.”
The beetles will inhabit white or black spruce trees and they love decks of cut, round spruce logs, Claassen said.
“You can hear them chewing in the wood,” she said. “You can’t believe a bug that small can be making that kind of sound.”
The beetles’ bite is like being cut by a piece of stainless steel or a razor blade, Claassen said.
“It hurts more than when you’re stung by a bee,” she said.
There is no treatment other than to run the area that was bitten under cold water, Claassen said. The bite doesn’t break the skin, but the two mandibles leave a mark.
As far as eradicating the beetles, about the only way is to crush them, she said.
“Spraying something at them would probably do more harm to the person spraying than it would the beetle,” Claassen said.
Community Discussion
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these damned things scare alot of people. i have a friend who tore her achilles tendon trying to get away from one of these lil buggers. i was walking today and i saw one make a u turn mid flight to try and land on me. just be faster than them. wear a coat thats made of slippery material, makes them easier to brush off. spray them with cleaning supplies and watch them die. i abhor these things.
My cats like to catch these and eat them. I'm just waiting for the day that one of them gets bit on the nose. I had noticed a lot of them around, it's too bad there isn't anything that can be done to chase them off.
Its only bugs of food for the baby
birds this time of the year.
Hmm... time to tie a few foam flies.
I like to use my supercharged mosquito zapper and fry them as they wriggle in agony!! Is that too much? Well they attacked my son, my daughter AND my wife!
My girlfriend is terrified of these things, She flips out at the site of them and tries to hide behind me. These lil buggers make me feel strong and manly, haha. I heard of you kill them they release pheromones that attract more of them. Anyone else hear anything like that?
My wife swore by hair spry as a bug killer, would laqure the things so they couldn't move once dry. Just like a beehive hairdo( no pun intended), bees are our friends. Has anyone noticed the lack of other insects this year?
Seeing these insects in the city is weird for me because I come from a place where it is not uncommon to see them flying around. I must say that I have only been pinched only once in all my years living near a saw mill where the bugs like to eat off the wood. It did not seem to hurt. I think most people over exaggerate the power of their bite. Then again if they were a hundred times bigger it would be like having a body part trapped in a very powerful vice.
I have no aversion to bugs EXCEPT these buggers! I usually bat them away with my flip flop. I'm temporarily on crutches, so that makes it difficult, although a crutch does make a good smasher! And I agree, they are particularly bad this year.
woodman, I don't live in the city and I would say we have a normal bug population this year.
i didn't know what their name was so i was calling them the kamikazi bug because it seems like they like to fly around looking for someone to crash into. now that i find out one of their names is a japanese beetle, it seems really appropriate. it really seems like there is a lot more of them this year. but i have noticed alot less yellowjackets.
Seems everybody totally flips out when things things land on you, especially women. I always thought they were harmless, and have never been bitten. Guess you need to get them off you quick. I always see them in my firewood piles when it starts getting warm.
Wait, I just had an idea. I wonder if we could get them state onboard to convert the little guys into a super-biofuel? Once they are rendered and converted into a more useful form we could turn our abundance of Beetles into a win-win situation. Discuss among yourselves.....
I hate these bugs...
I was once in a car at a stoplight when one flew in and landed on the dashboard...and all 4 of my co-workers (who were grown men) threw their doors open and jumped out, abandoning me there to deal with the black devil.
It's just odd that they fly along and just kind of "bang" into you and grab on...The note about their poor eyesight makes sense.
I disagree with the statement that they don't break the skin...I don't know how many layers constitutes "breaking the skin", but they definitely take a chunk.
What's missing from this story is why are they so prevalent this year? The story about the bees in Eagle River at least had an explanation for the occurence of the swarm.
Great now you tell me they bite. I have been picking them up showing my kids, grand child, nieces and nephews for going on 30 years and never heard of anyone being bitten. Is it that not being afraid of them gives us a better change of not getting bit or is there another similar beetle because I don't notice such pronounced white spots on most.
Was told by an old timer that they make great fish bait, but you had to keep them alive....in fact he paid kids 25 cents for each live one they caught.
I think they make excellent sandwich material
they make good targets for "airsoft" guns too.
i hate it when those buggers fly in the care w/my fiancee is driving. I have to say a prayer for my life as she goes ballistic at the thing. I tell you what though, they make a hellova loud splat on my motorcycle helmet at elevated speeds.
The White-spotted sawyer beetles like sunlight, to keep them out of woodpiles, stack wood in the shade or cover it. This has cut down on them drastically around our house.
When I was a child, I ended up with one of these insidious little devils INSIDE my shirt. Needless to say, I run like a pansy when I see one now. (On a trip to Sam's newly-paved parking lot on a 80° day recently, I must have seen 300 of those things... it was like a plague. I was waiting for the apocalypse as I shopped for granola bars.)
They always like to land on my boobs when I'm hanging out my laundry. Never fails. Hubby calls them little perverts. I've never been bitten by them. They kind of remind me of something out of Men In Black.
My children used to get really excited about these bugs, having been taught to do so by certain other kids. It was more annoying having those kids screaming than having the bug around. Made me wonder about the other kids' homelife.
These bugs are so s-l-o-w.
Just grab the bug by an antenna and fling. They really travel. Your fingers will be nowhere near the 'bug.'
In the car: open a window and fling the bug out. Another good way to impress your friends.
Of all the species on earth (plant, animal, or otherwise), 20% are beetles. You should be VERY scared...or very impressed!
I let them crawl around on my hands, and have never been bitten.
But a friend told me her mother had a severe reaction to a bite from one of these guys and had to go to the Emergency Room.
I hate these beetles. They are so slow I just wait for them to land then, STOMP.
My chickens love them and since they realized they make good food, I haven't noticed ANY stray ones around the property.
Ahhh, the old pincher bug.
They're a bit of an annoyance - my wife and daughter both freak out as well (like so many others on here say).
Bottom line is, they are slow. I've always just picked them up by the antenna, thrown them to the ground, and stomped 'em - never been bitten that way.
Now, I did learn that if they climb up inside your pant leg, you probably don't want to start smacking your leg. That'll just piss 'em off, since your skin is softer than their shell... [That was no fun!]
Also, got news for ya folks -- they CAN and DO break the skin...
My sister had one in her hair kind of behind her ear. She didn't know what it was and went to brush it away (a few times). Eventually she smacked the side of her head and started yelling. A few seconds later a trickle of blood ran down the side of her head.
So, if you feel something crawling - DO NOT smack it first (like you would with a mosquito) instead, find out what it is, then react appropriately!
Happy 4th!
If you hold one of these beetles carefully in your fingers, note the head will bob up and down as it struggles to free itself... It actually makes a squeaking noise. Carefully holding the beetle near your ear will confirm this. They have little teeth between the head and thorax and scrape the two together to create the noise. I think they are very interesting. Catch them in mid-air and throw them on people. Very entertaining. I am amazed at the negative comments I am reading regarding this beetle. They do have a bite but will NOT bite unless grabbed or held. They never just land on you and munch away...
Ah, but do they cause a sonic boom? ;)
To ihateidiots: i will pay to see you eat a sandwich full of them.
Looks like Fairbanks has been hit with an outburst of Beetlemania!
Had one crawl up my shorts the other day at Water Wagon. Words can not express how glad I am that it didn't bite (I wear boxers; the path was clear).
Ever notice how each summer, one bug seems to dominate? I wonder what we'll do if we ever have a summer when several bug cycles all peak at the same time.
I must be strange as I kinda like these critters.
When I was a kid we used to catch then and put them in a big jar. Beats the WWF for a battle royale! They really go at it.
If you want misery in a bug go to Fort Yukon and experience horse flies. Was working there outside this past week and my left arm was bloody from the bites I received.
BTW Jeff, on the playground in Delta it was quite commonplace to catch these guys by the antenna and throw them on the girls...ahhh youth.
I wouldn't mind these bugs, but every time I see one I assume there is another on my back!
I have been squeezed by those pinchers when I was a teen and it hurts like heck!
It's pretty easy to whack them to the ground while they are trying to land on you.
It's just the one on my back I'm always afraid of.
I saw 3 people with them on their backs today at the North Pole celebration - I figured better them than me : )
Hehehe... I had one of these crawl into my shirt today while at the North Pole Festival and give me a litle nibble on my belly.
The bite wasn't THAT bad, and the bugs are slow enough that you CAN just pluck them off and toss them.
My friend's son catches them for the chickens. The chickens do battle over this delicacy, and go crazy when one of these little "treats" gets thrown into the coop.
Out of curiousity... I've heard them called spruce beetles... are they the same thing?
Medic- they are sometimes called Spruce Sawyers so that's probably where the name comes from!
But I agree with the majority...I will do anything possible to avoid these little buggers! I was a passenger in a car the other day, and one flew in and landed on the console next to me. I basically unbuckled my seatbelt and tried to claw my way through the window to safety! :-)
Rational...I think not! I can deal with a lot of things....but these beetles give me the heebie jeebies!
hmmm, we always called them chinese pincher beetles not japanese and i have a friend who calls them "moose beetles" i can only assume that is because of their size- but i never know they are a strange lot...
AK4N- i too get to experience the "manly" feeling by saving my little girl of a husband from these terrifying creatures!! ha ha ha - just kidding i love my hubby!
i never have been bitten by one and i kinda think their cute with their long antenna's! my puppy likes to chase them around the yard and try to catch them-funny because he is so clumsy. anyway i would have to say i really haven't noticed them very much- maybe i need to get out more...
You people need to grow a pair. They are just beetles, and they are harmless. Get over it.
Gee. You guys should of lived in Missouri or Nevada like I did. We had snakes and scorpions. Nothing like walking through your garden and have something stick it's tongue out at you. There everyone would panic if you ran over a skunk. Nothing works better at clearing the drive thru at McDonalds than having skunk juice on your bumper.
and yet, still no one talks about being bitten...hmmm..?
Spruce beetles, (the ones that kill so many trees), are only 1/4" long and dont have those long antennae. Heres a link with a description and picture:
http://www.fs.fed.us/r10/spf/fhp/leaflet...
Denali Guy. You are incorrect. Your link is for the Spruce Bark Beetle.... Not our discussed Wood Sawyer. They are not the same. Try again!
Take a look at this link and see a picture of our infamous beetle.
Take a look at this link and see a picture of our infamous beetle. http://www.whatsthatbug.com/beetles15.ht...
They remind me of giant flying cockroaches with long antennas!
I pray for winter every summer! I used to work outside and I loved it. Then I moved to the interior and had one crawl inside my clothes. Needless to say, my life transformed. I no longer work outside and do not enjoy the summers. I stay inside except early morning and late evening. I work late just to make sure the "beetle activity" has decreased.
On the upside, I went back to school and learned another trade and I am the biggest fan of winter the interior has ever seen!! Its nice knowing you can walk around anytime of the day or night and not be harassed and terrified by something landing on you and crawling inside of your clothes!!
That’s my story and I’m sticking to it!!...lol
Jeff, I know the difference, I was answering tntmedics question "Are they were the same beetle?". The link I posted is to a description of the spruce-killing beetle, not the "whisker bug" currently infesting Fairbanks.
sorry I was confusing.
OOPS! to DenaliGuy.... I should have read more carefully. I still get amazed at the fear people have over a small beetle. To be so frightened as to stay in the house all thru summer in order to avoid a bug seems a bit much.
I would just like to say that I am one of those people who are terrified of these bugs! (I call it my "girly-flaw".) And I think that while everyone is entitled to their opinion, people are also entitled to their fears, and they should be equally respected. I don't know a single person who "chooses" to be afraid of something. So rather than ridicule others for their fears, maybe one should re-visit one of their own fears and offer a bit of courtesy and respect to others (the ultimate in the live and let live philosophy!). I watched a show once where a girl was afraid of pennies. That seems down right insane to most people, but to her it was a big deal!
When I was a kid in Fairbanks, we called them "Bad Navigators" because of their sudden and seemingly unplanned maneuvers. Their abrupt landings are sort of comical as well. I always had a dislike for them because of their unpredictable flight patterns.
I agree. They're just too big for my liking and much too happy landing on people. I once saw about 10 flying around, when all of a sudden they started flying toward me and my bf!! I've been pretty good at dealing with insects, but not these. I hightailed it the other way. I think it's just keeping track of them because yes, they do tend to attach themselves without you knowing. I had just gotten in my car one day when I noticed one crawling on me--I think I made it outside in record time ;)
And I concur, using the charged bug zapper (like a tennis racket) works quite well.
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