If you live in the Hill Country or northern San Antonio, you probably have Giant Texas Walking Sticks all over your landscape every two years or so.

There is a long-lived myth that Walking Sticks are poisonous. They are not. Walking Sticks are harmless, slow-moving, fascinating, and extremely tenacious insects - one of our employees had one attached to the rim of her wheel, and it survived the 20 mile trip to work completely unharmed! Walking Sticks are plant feeders, but seldom do enough damage to be noticeable. In our area they become active in late spring through summer. You can find them in the trees, on the eves, and clinging to the side of your house.

Walking Sticks can emit a foul odor when irritated, but are not poisonous. They have chewing mouthparts, but don't bite. They do have spines along their legs that allow them to cling to your clothes, skin, or hair, which may be alarming, but they are harmless.

If you have an invasion of walking sticks this year, just enjoy or ignore them. There is no reason to kill them, and you would do far more damage to your beneficial insects if you sprayed, than you would to the Walking Sticks. Remember: Walking Sticks ...

IPM Program Specialist and Entomologist, Molly Keck
Texas AgriLife Extension Service
mekeck@ag.tamu.edu
3355 Cherry Ridge, Suite 212
San Antonio, Texas 78230
210/467-6575

Photos by Extension Entomology unless otherwise noted. For more pictures and full descriptions visit http://insects.tamu.edu/fieldguide/