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in our state that most people claim that they only were recently 
introduced. This is not the case, however, as they are old 
settlers, older than any member of the “Early Settlers Associa- 
tion”. But they have not forced themselves upon the attention 
of our citizens until during the last few years. Their rapid 
increase, or rather the reason that they are at present noticed 
so much more frequently, is owing to the fact that the box- 
elder is now grown more commonly along our streets in cities 
and towns than formerly. Being a very hardy tree, one of 
the best adapted for villages in the open prairies, they are 
there most usually selected for shade trees. They form also 
a large proportion of the trees utilized for wind-breaks and 
timber claims. Considering this rapid increase in their numbers 
it is no wonder at all that insects which utilize this tree as 
food, should also increase very rapidly. ‘This has been the 
case, and where a few years ago the box elder bug was an 
unknown insect it is now found in large and increasing num- 
bers. Still this great increase would not be noticed, or only 
by a few more observing persons, if this insect did not 
possess the peculiar habit of crowding together late in the 
fall, preliminary to searching suitable quarters to hibernate. 
As soon as the foliage of the box-elder becomes dry and 
discolored, or, in other words, as soon as the leaves of the 
tree no longer offer liquid sap to the insects, these desert 
such useless sources of liquid food, and descend to the limbs 
and trunks of the trees. Here they gather in large numbers, 
perhaps to hold indignation meetings about the shortness of 
summer and food supplies. At all events they crowd together, 
old and young, as if waiting for better times. Whenever the 
sun shines and warms one side of the trunk, or the sidewalk 
below the tree, there these bugs are sure to congregate. Later, 
and when the leaves commence to drop, all bugs. have reached 
their full size, all are winged. But they do not use their 
wings, and are very sensible not to do so, because they 
assuredly would be blown about the adjoining prairies and 
perish. These bugs now search for winter quarters. If the 
sidewalk under the box-elder trees, their old homes, should 
be a wooden one, most of the bugs find a shelter under it. 
If no such shelters are found, however, the insects enter 
barns and stables, and are not slow to enter even houses, 
