boxelder bugBoxelder bugs are a harmless nuisance pest usually most active in the spring and fall months. In the spring, they become active as breeding begins. In the fall, they will begin to congregate in preparation for the coming winter. At this time, they are usually found on south facing walls of buildings where they can get constant warmth from the sun. They will emit an odor that attracts even more boxelder bugs to their location.

Although they are not dangerous to humans and don’t do significant damage to trees or plants, they can become a nuisance because of their numbers and unpleasant odor. Boxelder bugs will give off an odor to attract others naturally, but if they are crushed that odor is released in a stronger form and they often leave a red stain, making them particularly annoying if they are in your home.

Because these pests don’t pose any real danger to animals or plants, insecticides are not often recommended. Poisons will do more harm than good in most cases. In general, the most often recommended action is to put up a good offense in order to reduce the need for defense.

Remove their Habitat

These creatures get their name from their taste for the boxelder tree. They specifically favor the female of this tree species. They may also be spotted around maple trees, which are in the same family, although their numbers are usually considerably lower.

If you have one of these trees in your immediate area and removing it is possible, removal of the tree will also get rid of the bugs.

Clear Fallen Seeds

If you have a boxelder tree on your property and removal is not an option, be sure to remove the fallen seeds as soon as possible and do so regularly. The bugs are especially attracted to the seeds and removing them quickly will help keep things under control.

Seal Cracks and Openings

If you have problems with boxelder bugs getting into your home, you need to find the places where they are getting inside and seal them off. They will not usually try to get inside until the autumn months when they are looking for a place to hide and spend the winter. If you can do things like repair worn screens and seal cracks around windows before the summer ends, you shouldn’t have much of a problem with boxelder bugs later in the year.

Insecticidal Soaps

Most soaps and detergents will work well for getting rid of insects if you can spray it directly on the bugs. Soaps remove the outer coating on the exoskeleton of insects which will lead to their death. The only drawback to this is that there is no residual effect. The insects must be sprayed directly, and once the soap and water have dried it is no longer effective. If done regularly, it can be useful in controlling large populations.

Pyrethrin Pesticides

Pyrethrins are organic compounds derived from plants that have a disruptive effect on the insect nervous system. There are synthetic versions of these pesticides, but you can also find truly organic pyrethrin-based insecticides which are fully biodegradable and considered low toxicity pesticides. Of course, read and follow instructions carefully when using any type of pesticide product, organic or not.

Simple Water Spray

If boxelder bugs are gathering on the walls of your home, they can be removed and killed with a good spray of water from a garden hose. These bugs are quite susceptible to drowning. A heavy spray of water will kill many of them outright while drowning even more as you wash them off the wall.

Unfortunately, with boxelder bugs, there is no definitive method to completely eliminate them. If you see these insects regularly, your best bet is to plan for prevention, taking into account their lifecycle. Keeping populations under control and making sure they don’t have easy entryways into your home should alleviate most problems. If you see them in extremely large numbers and the methods above don’t seem to help, it might be wise to consider calling a professional pest service.

For further information you may be interested in these articles:

What are Pillbugs?

7 Ways to Get Rid of Mayflies

What are Carpet Beetles?

 

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