Boxelder bugs are back
North Battleford residents might notice the boxelder insects have returned when they are out tidying their yards for spring.
Retired professor and entomologist Cedric Gillott said the beetle-like insects are “perfectly harmless,” but are active this time of the year as they emerge from hibernation. Although the insects can be an annoyance, Gillott said they don’t carry any diseases.
“We’re still going to see a lot of them,” he said. “Like many other insects these bugs cycle in terms of their population numbers.”
Gillott said over about seven to nine years the population of the insects will build up and then gradually start to decrease due to disease, weather, and other factors. When conditions are cool and wet, there is more likelihood of disease having a negative impact on the insects.