Sumter County Clemson Extension

House invading insect advisory! We had a client bring in some bugs for identification the other day. I thought I would share in case you come across them. They are white margined burrower bugs. They are true bugs and a type of stinkbug. They are around 1/4 inch long. These are nymphs, but the adults are black with a white margin.

The client described them as being everywhere outside, and some were coming in the house. Thankfully, there is only one generation per year and will stop invading your home shortly. Also, these instances are pretty isolated, and their population usually only gets to this size once every few years. Otherwise they are not considered a pest in farm fields or gardens.

They are interesting in that the females with guard their eggs and then feed the hatched young seeds. This is why they're also called the Mother Bug. Check out the pics and the fact sheet from OSU for more info.