Elderbox Bugs?

[DesmondandMorgan]

I'm in Colorado and my house is full of Elder box bugs. Can I give them to Desmond? They tend to smell when I crush them, nothing like stinkbugs but I'm not sure what that might mean. Does anyone have any experience with them? I've never fed them to him but there are zillions in my house.

Thanks!

 

[kami baby]

You never know if they have parasites on them or where they have been.

 

[Syreptyon]

"Boxelder bugs are redolent and will release a pungent and bad-tasting compound upon being disturbed to discourage predation; this allows them to form conspicuous aggregations without being preyed on."

Even if they are not toxic (which I do not know), they will not taste good. Best to avoid, especially since they would be wild caught and could pose other health risk because of that.

 

[CamrynTheCham22]

Even if they are safe, imho I wouldn't just because of that pungent odor. In nature, bad smells usually equal bad tastes. When an animal lets its position be known through strong sensory cues, it is usually because it has some sort of defense that predators don't want to mess with, i.e. poison, barbs, bad taste, rough or sharp attributes, etc. I have thought about bringing some insects in from my yard, but I never have because I find it easier to just buy them from the store where you know where they came from, what they are being fed, whether or not they have parasites. That is just my opinion. Plus, they might not be healthy if they are fatty or high in phosphorus. If they have a high chitin to meat ratio, then they might be a little too hard on their stomach. I have not studied these insects, I am just merely throwing out precautions. Hopefully that helps a little bit.

 

[JacksJill]

This is a general rule of thumb and not an absolute but insects with distinctive coloring and patterns of sharp contrast are usually advertising themselves as dangerous: stripes on bees and wasps for example.