There is not a magical being that put them there so there really isn't a "purpose" in that sense. A lot of animals are passive influences on ecosystems but their disappearance likely would lead to a lot of hungry animals. Animals live to mate and pass on their genetics, not to be food for frogs and birds and stuff, that is the only "purpose" of any animal.

@@brooke6838 i like that explanation. I get where you’re coming from

You couldn't survive without them

same

Especially since they are harmless I let them call all over me, they are pretty cute at time

Right?! I thought a university would have actual information. Had a similar problem with carpenter bees.

Fr!

I really dislike bugs, but these little guys are so docile and adorable. They even stop in their tracks when I screech if I see one on the floor ! So, when it’s nicer outside , I just use a Dixie cup and put them in there, and relocate them to my maple tree . It’s blizzarding out right now, so I’m hoping they keep to themselves . I picked up a lame box elder off the carpet to relocate it to a windowsill yesterday , but it’s … not doing well . I thought it would die overnight, but it’s little legs keep going . I want it to die a happy death , so I’ve put it in a cardboard box I reserved last year for helping out injured butterflies - it’s got sticks and dried hydrangeas in there. I cut a tiny square off a sponge , put it in a little container with water and maple syrup, and put my lame boxelder on the sponge . I figure they probably like the same things that butterflies do, since they like sweet fruit. And I hope my tiny patient dies happily before any of its friends get a clue about the situation ;)

i find a tennis racket is fun with these little guys 😁🐰

When you get a chance grab him tie a string around his upper area and swing him around in a circle and watch him fly like a motorized plane

@@bulldogface8259 I've done that as a kid, but this is a female so I'm sure it has kids somewhere nearby. As a matter of fact it just flew around me 2 minutes ago. :)

You must’ve been enjoying some herbs 🌿 to have hung out with him for 20 minutes!

@@jeremysoto8128 Darn right! I live in the middle of nowhere. :(

I want to grow the courage to hold one lol

currently they are an endless buffet for my pet toad

@@davedunks4647 Thanks for the response Dave. One of my favorite creatures as a kid, were toads and frogs. Here on my 2 acres which is surrounded by cornfield, I managed to attract a lot of wildlife including toads. The past several years they were popping up out of the grass everywhere. This year not so much. Hence the box elder bugs are extremely plentiful. I have to wonder what they're spraying out here or who is eating the toads? Could it be the chipmunks? 👀😳

@@lukebieniek9069 I was lucky enough that where I grew up I was able to witness several natural cycles like that. One year we'd have a lot of rabbit in the area, the next year we'd have a family of red fox move in and suddenly no rabbits. The fox's would move on, then the rabbits come back and it would repeat. I imagine some birds probably also eat the box elder bugs. As for the toads - I'm not sure but I'd guess they have to be on the look out for hawks, snakes, fox, coyote, wild dog and barn cats, possibly musk rat, raccoon, possum? Toads have small poison glands that can irritate small mammals but overall they don't have much in the way of defense

Wondering the same, Luke

I just think they’re neat.