Cactus Diaries | Invasion of the False Chinch Bugs!
Vložit
- čas přidán 20. 04. 2024
- Omg, we have almost reached biblical plague levels of insects swarming in Chandler, Arizona! After posting a story on Instagram, one of my connections identified them as false chinch bugs. I think they are in the millions outside! They're on the walls of my house, on the bags of pumice and soil, covering the turf and ground, all over my seedling shade house and all over my plants! From what I read, they eat grasses and plants from the mustard family. So far, I don't see obvious damage on my cactus and succulents, but who knows. I figured due to their sheer number I'd know pretty quickly if I'm in for devastation. The crazy thing is that I recorded this video in the late morning when they were still fairly tame. At dusk it got way worse, they were out pre-gaming for a night out with their buddies.
My guess is that the insects are here in huge numbers because of the large amount of uncontrollable weeds that came up after an especially wet spring. I swear I saw these same insects last spring but not in these numbers. These phenomena in nature are absolutely incredible!
Have you dealt with false chinch bugs before? Supposedly they should only be here temporarily. As the weather warms up and dries out, the weeds will end their life cycle, and the false chinch bugs will also move on. I guess there's only one way to find out...
Connect with me on Instagram: / cookiescacti
You need an hole army of house geckoes..
I like this idea 😂
I'm in New Mexico and am going through this right now. I had to tape the cracks and crevices of my kitchen window since they can crawl in. They still manage to come through but not as much.
We've had so much rain this year and my weeds have gone crazy - I couldn't keep up with them this year and I've noticed the false chinch bugs like to feed off the weeds. I have swarms of them ! Yikes 😬
That's so crazy! I've seen comments from folks local to me, then Nevada and Texas about swarms of the same bugs! You're the first comment I've seen from NM! I also taped up my windows where they were the most concentrated just to try to slow them down from coming inside the house. They disappeared around 2-3 weeks after I posted this video.
Thank you so much for posting this. I've been trying to figure out for days what these bugs are. I'm in northern California and based on the comments it looks like this invasion is spreading north. Good to know they will be gone in 2-4 weeks. I hope they don't get into the house.
Wow, that is so amazing that you're seeing them now! I've seen comments left here from NM, TX, Mexico, and now northern CA!
It must be super moist under that turf for them to breed? Pull up that turf make sure you don’t see eggs. Find the breeding grounds then you can stop them. There’s not enough vegetation for them to eat, so that’s not the problem.
Good luck with this. I looked them up and it says in great numbers they can cause significant plant damage! Since you don't want to use pesticides, try diatomaceous earth. It will look messy for awhile but might protect the cactus & succulents. I wish you the best!!! From Morris Park in the Ozarks, out to Arizona, have a great day!!! Hope the beasties go away soon!!! Peace, Love, Plants!!!✌️💖🌵🌴🌸🌻🍀🌿🌹🌾🌱💐🌳🌷🪴😃👍
Thank goodness they seemed to mostly be harmless - no biting and no eating plants (but they did leave some poop behind lol). They disappeared around 2-3 weeks after I posted this video but they started showing up in other parts of the state and country judging by the comments left by folks across the southwest and Mexico. Incredible! I ended up taping up the seams of my window to try to reduce the numbers getting inside the house. Quite the (annoying) adventure!
I live in Las Vegas and I just noticed an invasion in my yard a couple days ago. It freaked me out how many there were covering pots, and plants. Thankfully (never thought I'd say this) it gets so hot during the day, they are only out like this early.
Someone else from Vegas just commented on a huge invasion in their yard and on their house! For me dusk was when they would be out in full force. They went away on their own around 2-3 weeks after I posted this video. The tough part was trying to keep them out of the house.... I taped up seams in my windows that were most affected. Hopefully they won't be around for too much longer for you!
@@cookiescacti Oh gosh I hope they don't find their way in. 😭😭😭
@@cookiescacti But I'm happy to hear they will go away on thier own. Hopefully soon! 😝
They will go away! Let me know when they do!
I'd use pesticide and keep Cookie inside for awhile. Those bugs will crawl all over Cookie and get into your home.
Or you could just explode them with dish soap and cooking oil and a beer..
Beer helps??
Thank goodness these buggers didn't bite! I ended up taping up the seams of my windows where they were at their highest numbers to reduce the numbers getting in. I'm glad they're gone now!
Having them in So Az now. They started to infest the house over the weekend. Master bath is over run...dropping/raining out of the can lighting...coming thru mini cracks in the windows. So gross. 🤢. So done.
Woahhhh, that is so fascinating that you're seeing them now. I've received comments from folks across the southwest in the US and from Mexico too about experiencing the same bugs. I ended up taping up my window seams to reduce the number getting into the house. Maybe some taping can help the worst affected rooms. The only upside is that they will move on. I think they disappeared around 2-3 weeks after I posted this video. But it was super annoying when they were here. Millions of them!
Re-caulked the bathroom window. Hardly helped in this situation. They were getting into the attic thru the eaves and then dropping thru the lighting. 🤢. Just had the back of the house power sprayed with insecticide. Temp is cooler & cloudy today so they are less active. Wait and see....
Omg this is so crazy!
I'm so happy I found this video!
My wife and I are dealing with the same exact problem. It happened out of no where. They just appeared and now bam everywhere all over my neighbors house and back yard to!
What kind of pesticides did you use ? They won't die. I've tried this trizecticide stuff and didn't wiped a bunch out but there is millions.
Help :)
Wow!! I got a message from someone else in the Phoenix area just yesterday that these buggos have showed up in their yard too! The only thing I did was try to control how many of them got into the house. I taped up any cracks around my windows and sprayed pesticide around my windows and doors - but I don't know effective that was, if at all. They have since disappeared as of a couple of weeks ago. I'd say they were here for 3-4 weeks.
... Yuck 😂 but also fascinating.
😂😂😂 they are fascinating but also makes me feel uncomfortable when I see swarms of them at dusk. It's nuts!
Oh my God!!!!!!!!! Feeling itchy watching this one. 🤢
2:43 just as I was commenting 🤣🤣🤣
@@phillipcase3860 😂😂😂 I swear I kept feeling them on me but they weren't!
Uggghhh.. I’m sooo sorry you’re having this issue! I mentioned the Se7in dust.. but it looks as you said like an infestation. Can you buy (or catch) some lizzards? They’d certainly help to get rid of them! I have a lot of lizzards in my garden and love them because they eat so many bugs. 🐜 best of luck friend.
Wait... Now that you mention it, there are small lizards that live in my fence walls! Where are they? Maybe they're so full already 😂😂😂
From what I just saw they like the sap from weeds like mustards. Maybe you can control grow some in a designated space to divert them.
I think it might be harder for me to keep the mustard plants alive lol!
Soap or water from the laundry detergent :)
Omg so happy I know what they are now. I feel so much better knowing what im up against. I live out in 3 points just west of Tucson and ive been at war with these fuckers for the last week. I have millions as well, im currently trying so many methods to take their numbers down and keep them out of my travel trailer. I have found that they drown pretty easily, so I've set up water traps with light to attract them and some where they like to climb and fall. I have to change the water daily. Soap water spary bottle works pretty good too. How's your battle going with them??? Did you ever get their numbers down???
Wow, that's so crazy that you're experiencing them now. I ended up taping up my window seams in the areas where they were at their highest numbers just to try to minimize the number getting into the house. Otherwise, I let them be. They magically disappeared on their own around 2-3 weeks after I posted this video.
I had a huge wave of these in my yard two years ago (Chandler area). They were a little concerning but they did no harm to me or my cacti.
This is so good to know. I'm finding exactly the same so far - they don't bite and the plants are okay. My only MO is to keep them out of the house. Do you remember how long they stayed around?
@@cookiescacti As I recall it was though mid-summer.
Holey moley 😮😮
I hate bugs but I hate all sprays more, I had Bees and made honney but then one day the farmer sprayer his field next to my forrest and that day all my hives died
Hi Jenny, i guess if this bugs are in the neighborhood too ? We have this bugs not in Germany, but i think of moths in the past in our gardens in Germany and they destroyed boxwood. They were everywhere. But now in the last two years they are almost gone. Are your neighbors fighting against this bugs too? I hope you can find a solution of this problem. Best wishes from Martina.
Hi Martina - They must be in this entire area. I see my neighbor's walls also have the bugs. Thank goodness they don't bite. Now I'm just trying my best to keep them out of the house and wait until they go away on their own. I was googling and saw Tucson had an infestation in 2019, so it's a thing! Some of my cactus friends in Phoenix are experiencing the same phenomena right now.
I’m in Vegas and my house and backyard dirt covered and spray and they won’t die 2nd year we have had them I mean an invasion, crawling all over my house
Woahhhhhh .. I heard they are resistant to many pesticides. How long did it take for them to move on?
@@cookiescacti still here ugh 😩 I tried dimatious earth tonight let’s see if that helps and I’m 61 never been bit by a mosquito a Cali girl , but last year here I got attacked lol and they are getting me again this week and area hurts ,news says they are aggressive , that’s an understatement I think b Gates dumped a plane load over Vegas of genetic mosquitoes 🦟 it’s insane , all of the sudden last two years has been nuts
@@Sabrina23LBWow, I never imagined mosquitoes would be so bad in Vegas! That sounds like an absolute nightmare! The false chinch bugs eventually moved on over here around 2-3 weeks after I posted this video. I ended up taping my window cracks to stop them from getting in.... Quite the experience... I hope your bug issue resolves itself soon!
@@cookiescacti that long ? 😳. I have been in Vegas since 95 this is all new I find it super weird ! I’m so glad they are gone for you if my dimatious earth works I will post it good luck everyone with the summer critters 😉
@@Sabrina23LB I think the total time they were around was 4-6 weeks. They will go away on their own. I swear I saw them last year too but not to this degree. Summer will bring its own set of challenges... Neverending challenges! Let me know when they disappear for you! I'm super curious.
They prefer grass, broccoli, cabbage and stuff like that, but they will eat any plant if they don't have their favorite foods.
I kind of wish they would eat all the weeds in my yard lol. If they're going to squat in the yard they might as well do something helpful for me!
😮
😮😮😮
Reminds me of many years ago in Bakersfield Ca. When there suddenly was thousands of crickets everywhere at night, clouds of crickets under the street lights at night. In the house. Anyway what ever bugs those are are probably having a super cycle event. I hope they don’t like cactus as much as you do.
Every once in a while the conditions are just right for a huge population explosion. Locust can do this too.
They will go away at some point. And something eats them. Till then , I just hope they stay out of your house. 🦗🙈
Omg, I can't even imagine that many crickets. We had one summer with TONS of crickets but not to the point of swarming. They were getting into the house and it was insane. I feel like every year brings some new natural phenomenon!
@@cookiescacti
Visited my Sister in Surprise AZ in early May. The desert was in bloom then. Some plant was blooming in the distance, it looked like a lavender cloud. No idea what it was. It was starting to warm up even in May. Hang in there , think like a cactus and stay cool. I will try an blow some California costal fog your way. We don’t have much left. 🌵😎
Que tristeza,
Dimetoato 40%👌☠💯
👍👍👍
Kinda gross, but probably nothing to worry about. I guess they’re like the cicadas and all emerge at once to mate… rather than eat cacti 😉
😂😂😂 thank goodness they seem to be mostly harmless so far. I'm sure they'll be back next year anyway. I wish they would eat the weeds in my yard to help me out a little while they're here!
They eat plants be sure to use systemic.
Holy cow…do the birds eat them…
Didn't seem like it but who knows! I have lizards that live in my block fence, hopefully they had a nice buffet!
That is so gross 🤢 I hate bugs. Hopefully they don’t get in your home or on Cookie.
You will have to use pesticides eventually. Cookie will have to stay inside for a while, why risk letting her go out with all those bugs, they would crawl on her. Sorry youre.going through thos honestly..
I ended up spraying around my windows and doors to keep them out of the house. Now we'll wait and see how long they stick around. So crazy!
@@cookiescacti hoping for the best 🤞
@@melp9884 🤞🤞🤞
OMG I have these bugs in my house in Mexico (Coahuila), having Pomegranate trees is not helping, they're all over them, I just came inside the house after spraying Home Defense all over the place, 1st time I see them in my life, and it's as bad as yours.
Wowwww! You're the first person to comment from Mexico about seeing the same bugs! I've seen comments from folks in Texas, Nevada, and New Mexico. It's also interesting to note how these bugs seem to be traveling across the continent considering that you're seeing them now!
They not only eat plants, but they bite animals and humans. I'd OD on pesticide fumes spraying my whole yard and house 😂.
I thought dealing with Fire Ants was a pain in the butt, at least they stay in their mounds for the most part.
😂😂😂 so far they don't seem to bite. I've been outside with my bare feet in sandals everyday and they haven't hurt me at all. Otherwise I'd be so screwed!
@@cookiescacti
You're braver than me, I wouldn't go outside without a blowtorch 🤣
@@barbie_t 😂😂😂 I'm literally laughing right now 😂😂😂
@@cookiescacti I'm glad I could give you a giggle 😃
Side note, you could maybe find some of the veggie plants they prefer to eat, place a few here and there , add a systemic , maybe that would thin out the numbers. I would definitely add systemic to all of your collection just to be safe.
@@barbie_t omg if any of my neighbors are growing food...
I sent you a PM on Instagram.
Hello! I think I saw a message request come in but then it disappeared