Last fall, we found a very strange-looking object stuck to the trunk of a maple tree. It seriously looked like something man-made, it was so perfectly geometric. We later discovered that they were Wheel Bug egg cases!
Knowing that the nymphs should emerge in late spring, we decided to check the spot on the tree…and found that they had hatched! The tiny baby Wheel Bugs, which emerge an orange color, then become black and red, were all around the egg cases. A couple had even started out into the world, away from their birthplace.
It’s another of Nature’s amazing events! These tiny bugs will go forth into the world, try to survive many dangers, eat many pests, and grow into the formidable, prehistoric-looking adults we see regularly around here. And they’re very welcome to eat as many Japanese beetles are they possibly can!
