This little guy was spotted hanging around the front door of one of our houses last week, so it inspired us to do another blog on the infamous palo verde beetles. We wrote about them once before, but due to their size, ability to fly, and overall ferocious look, we figured they were worth a revisit. A few quick reminder points from our previous blog:

• They’re big and intimidating-looking, but looks are deceiving
• They’re basically harmless – they don’t sting and they produce no venom. They can, however, deliver a somewhat painful bite if you carelessly try to handle them
• In the larval stage, they eat the roots of palo verde trees (hence, their name) and other similar trees, so most vegetation in your yard is safe from them
  
  

  Should I be concerned about palo verde beetles?

  
  

  Though they are not dangerous to humans, they are a nuisance. For one thing, they’re huge and not what many people would call sightly. Also, awkward fliers that they are, having one fly at your face is usually an unpleasant, if not downright scary, experience.

  
  

  Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, they attract other pests and animals as predators. Specifically, coyotes, skunks, and roadrunners.

  
  

How do I prevent them? I get that they don’t sting, but I’d still rather not have them around…

If you have any palo verde trees in your yard, be sure to keep them healthy. Old, sick, and weak trees are more susceptible, and more attractive to them. Also, palo verde beetles are nocturnal. So like other nocturnal flying insects, be careful and conservative with your outdoor lighting. It will draw them right to it.

For further information, check out this local news article on them here. (After you’ve checked out our previous article on them, of course.)