I first came across the wheel bug last summer. When I went to go check on my bee hive I noticed a very strange, prehistoric looking creature cruising around on top of the hive roof. I snapped a few pics and posted them online to see if anyone knew what it was. I found out that it was known as a wheel bug and it was probably doing some bee hunting. I will admit that at first I was not too fond of this bug, considering the work I put into my bees only to have them eaten. Yet, there was only one lone bug that I saw and I couldn't imagine it doing that much harm.If you do encounter this insect in your yard be careful though! They are capable of piercing skin and secreting a substance which is said to be 10x worse than a hornet sting! Eek..
This spring I saw some other strange looking insects inundating one of my nectarines trees. It was quite unlike the wheel bug. But after doing some research I discovered they were one in the same. The wheel bugs I saw this year were nymph wheel bugs. They look like little spiders with big orange abdomens and long, yellow/orange tipped antennae.
During my research I discovered that they eat all kinds of bugs and not just honey bees! I may even put some in my garden as I've read that they eat aphids, cabbage worms, caterpillars and more. Organic pest control at its best!
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| Wheel bug nymphs hang around the egg cluster from which they hatched |
