Warmer temperatures bring out influx of boxelders
North Battleford area residents may notice an increase of a beetle-like insect around their homes and offices these days known as the boxelder bug, or maple bug.
Cedric Gillott, an entomologist and an emeritus professor in the biology department of the University of Saskatchewan, based in Saskatoon, said the bugs are appearing in high numbers across the province at this time of the year as they mass together in search of a hibernation place.
They can be seen anywhere, on the sunny sides of buildings, looking for cracks and crevices for warmth and protection over the winter.
Gillott said these bugs are nothing to be alarmed about, however, and are more of a nuisance pest.