Yesterday, during my research about potato bugs, I saw the mention of another animal called a Grosbeak. This caught my attention because Grosbeaks are some of my favorite birds.
As it turns out, the Grosbeak is also called the potato-bug bird because it eats potato bugs and other insects. Now the Grosbeak is my favorite bird for sure. But the good news doesn’t end there. Grosbeaks also feed on scale type insects.
Yes.
A couple of years ago, a neighbor gave us a Harry Lauder’s Walking Stick. It developed scale almost immediately. My husband and I didn’t do anything about it right away. When my husband finally got around to spraying the scale he noticed it was going away on it’s own. On it’s own?
On further inspection he noticed that there was quite a lot of bird droppings on the plant. In a few days the scale was all but gone. We are pretty sure now that it is our friends the Grosbeaks that are eating all that delicious scale. Yum.
So don’t run out and buy pesticides if you have scale, just keep your birdfeeders full.
And if you have potato bugs, they don’t really hurt anything. They’re just really, really ugly, and the thought of them makes me vomit in my mouth a little.
LOL@ "vomit in my mouth a little"
Posted by: MrBrownThumb | November 14, 2007 at 02:42 PM
Okay... get out the vacuum cleaner, suck up that potato bug, then empty the bag into the trash, outside. Problem solved. Do you want me to come over there and do it for you?
Or are you thinking about letting some Grosbeaks inside to eat the bug for you?
Posted by: Carol | November 14, 2007 at 04:22 PM
Mr Brown Thumb,
I'm sure you know what I mean. You saw the pictures. Icky
Carol,
Trust me, if you lived closed I would love to have you come over and do it for me.
Vacuuming up that hideous creature was just too much of an unknown. They're big.
What if it got lodged somewhere in the vacuum. Or it only went up half way. I have to stop thinking about it or I'm going to vomit in my mouth again.
Posted by: chigiy Binell | November 14, 2007 at 04:36 PM
For heaven's sake, how big is it? For real, not in your mind!
Posted by: Carol | November 14, 2007 at 08:19 PM
Those bugs are DISGUSTING! I don't think I've ever seen one in real life and I hope I never do. You probably feel about those like I do about earwigs. GAK GAK GAK!!
So grosbeaks eat scale. Who knew? We had bunches of grosbeaks earlier in the summer. Friendly little birds. They let me get pretty close to photograph them and they're gorgeous!
Posted by: Kylee | November 14, 2007 at 11:14 PM
Carol,
They can get about 2 1/2 inches long and they're fat and slimy. Did you look at the pictures? eeeewww. I rather handle a rattlesnake.
Kylee,
They are disgusting. The author of potatobugs.com emailed me and said that potato bugs are the stuff that horror movies should be made from.
Posted by: chigiy Binell | November 15, 2007 at 07:55 PM
I looked at the picture, but didn't see what size it gets. I will admit that is one big bug! I still would have tried the vacuum cleaner on it.
Posted by: Carol | November 16, 2007 at 02:33 AM
Carol,
One last thought on Mr. potato bug, I spent yesterday with Norm from the Center for Ecosytem Survival and four 2nd grade classes. Norm and I were showing them bugs from all over the world. I held Darkling Beetles, Eastern Lubber Grasshoppers, Giant African Millipedes and Hissing Cockroaches. Potato Bugs still give me nightmares. Norm did tell me that Potato Bugs are very good for nature and one of the main food sorces for American Kestrels.
Posted by: chigiy Binell | November 17, 2007 at 12:01 PM
I've been picking them off our plants and putting them in a jar. They poop all over you.....Yuck.
Posted by: angie | June 07, 2010 at 05:47 PM
Angie,
eww, you touched a potato bug and it pooped on you. I may not sleep tonight.
Posted by: chigiy | June 07, 2010 at 11:07 PM