Creepy Crawlies

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I’m sure you all have bugs of your own. Those you see and love, and those you smash and kill. For me, it’s been interesting to find some of the creepiest, crawliest bugs I’ve ever seen right in my back yard.  With Halloween this week, I figured now was a good time to really find out what those bugs are.

Box Elder Bug – These things swarm in the fall and I often find them on my windowsill, wall, even my bathtub. My kids can easily pick them up (they’re not the quickest). They don’t seem to hurt people but I’m not sure they do much for Box Elder trees.

Fuzzy Orange and Black Caterpillar – I like to call these Halloween Caterpillars because of their coloring, but apparently their real name is Pyrrharctia Isabella. This video is a throw back to when Big E was barely more than a baby, but the caterpillar is still cool. Last year we brought one in the house to see what it would turn into, but somehow it disappeared from the box and is now probably hiding under my bed.

Banded Alder Borer

Zebra Thing – I think this is a beetle of some sort but, c’mon it looks crazy right? It’s actually a Banded Alder Borer which lives in dead hardwood trees like Maple and Alder. This photo is from the website www.whatsthatbug.com, which was very useful in identifying these critters.

Enjoy some of the creepy crawlies from our neighborhood! Happy Halloween!

Author: Mountain Mom

Hi! I'm Mountain Mom. I live with my husband and three young kids near the mountains in Idaho. When we're not hiking, biking, skiing and camping, I like to spend my time doing Mom stuff and reading.