Big Black Beetles?

Question

For the last 3 years, at the end of May, large number of 1-2 inch black beetles with pinchers come out of the ground in my front yard for 2 evenings at least. Then, that's all, they're gone until the following year. A nursery guy sold me some stuff that I put on with a spreader and told me it would take care of the bugs. Guess what....they marched across the lawn last night.

Any ideas? I live in Ohio.

Answer 1

They are most likely annual cicadas. See the link below that has some pictures of them. You probably won't be able to get rid of them but they are only around for about 2 weeks a year and that's it.

Answer 2

One of the last times I was on a bus was at the age of 16. The woman infront of me had a mass of black curly hair which sat just on her shoulders. I almost fainted when a big black beetle crawled out of her hair, wandered around her shoulders and down her back before going back into her hair. It traumatised me!

Answer 3

From what little experience I've had with cicadas, they've tended to be arboreal when they come out of their decade-long slumber..and fill the air with a raspy call,(like a cross between a moped/ and a cricket on steroids)...Unless this annual phenomenon has caused damage to you and yours, I can't imagine, for the life of me, what would compell you to poison these things,whatever they are...I'm no authority on the fauna of Ohio,but, you gotta have neighbors, right?.Have you checked to see if they have any insight?..

Answer 4

They sound like a variety of ground beetle (harmless friend of the gardener) or one of any number of larger beetles associated with old trees, rotting timber etc. THEY are both harmless, and it is pointless to poison your lawn to kill the good guys !

Answer 5

Not all beetles are bad. Sounds like a Stage Beetle. It lives on decaying wood and sometimes sap. Do you have some rotting wood nearby or underground. I wouldn't bother them, just say Hello.

http://search.live.com/images/results.aspx?q=Stag+Beetle&mkt=en-US#