Boxelder Bug Control
Do you have a boxelder bug problem in or around your property? Get in touch with Plunkett’s to rid your space of unwanted pests!
What are Boxelder Bugs?
Appearance:
Adult boxelders are black and orange bugs that are about 1/2 an inch long with flat wings.
Nymphs will measure only 1/16th of an inch long and hatch with a bright red appearance that fades as they grow.
Species:
Boxelder bugs belong to the same family as cicadas and stinks bugs, all known as “true bugs.” They reside in North America with the scientific name, Boisea trivittata.
What Do Boxelder Bugs Eat?
Their name comes from a mainstay of their diet: the female boxelder tree. The boxelder bug diet also consists of sap from ash trees, maple trees, and cherry trees as well as a variety of other seed-bearing plants. These beetles extract the juice from fruit and seed bearing plants with their piercing mouthparts, usually causing discoloration in the foliage.
What Attracts Boxelder Bugs?
Sunny Surfaces
Any sunny surface is a boxelder bug hot spot. These pests will cover and multiply on any sun-lit exterior surface they can find.
Why Do Boxelder Bugs Like the Sun?
They like to congregate near sunny spots inside and on the outside of your home in the late summer and early fall months to warm up and re-energize.
Warm Shelter
Lower temperatures outside are what drive these pests inside. You may be unknowingly attracting these pests just by having a small opening for them to seek refuge.
Fruit & Seed Trees:
Having fruit- and seed-bearing trees in or around your residence will naturally attract boxelder bugs.
Are Boxelder Bugs Harmful?
Boxelder bugs are non-poisonous, harmless insects that won’t bite people or cause severe damage to property. When found in large numbers, however, they are considered nuisance pests and may stain walls and other areas with their excrement. Since they produce at such a rapid rate, it’s common for a few boxelder bugs to turn into an infestation rather quickly.
How to Prevent a Boxelder Bug Infestation?
Step 1: Seal Entry Points
Your best chance of boxelder bug prevention is to seal up any small cracks or crevices that boxelders can squeeze into during the late fall months. They will begin to seek out any and all entry points before cold winter temperatures take effect in order to survive.
Step 2: Be Weary of DIY Solutions
Boxelder home treatment products are often advertised as effective do-it-yourself solutions. They are generally ineffective and likely contain pesticides that can be harmful to humans and pets if they are misused or improperly mixed.
Step 3: Seek Professional Help
Boxelder bugs are difficult to control, but professional prevention measures in late Summer or early Fall can greatly reduce the number of Boxelder bugs on the exterior of your home. Overall, Boxelder bugs are difficult to prevent, given their ability to enter the home in a number of different ways and rapid reproduction rate. If boxelder bugs have infested your property, contact Plunkett’s Pest Control for help.
How to Get Rid of Boxelder Bugs:
If boxelder bugs have already invaded your home, your best bet is to remove as many as possible. The most effective way to do this is by sucking them up with a vacuum cleaner. They are challenging to control because of their natural proclivity to hide, so you may find it difficult to remove all of them. Without removing all of them, you run the risk of them continuing to reproduce and continue infesting your home.
For this reason, it is highly recommended that the services of a pest control company be used.
Box Elder Bug Hot Spots
These pests will cover and multiply on sun-lit exterior surfaces in the late summer and fall.
Lower temperatures outside drive pests inside. With the change of season and fall’s fast approach, homeowners might see signs of box elder bugs that will seek-out warmer spaces to reside over the winter.
Safe and warm inside your home, fall invader pests can cause damage. These pests reproduce at a rapid rate, so what often starts as a small problem can quickly get out of hand.
Contact Plunkett's today for a FREE estimate!
Boxelder Bug Control With Plunkett's
At Plunkett’s, our goal is to help you remove boxelder bugs quickly, conveniently, and in the most cost-effective way. We make every effort to be with you asap, usually within a day or two.
In the fall season, Asian lady beetles, boxelder bugs, cluster flies, and stink bugs look for a warm place to spend the winter. They enter buildings through foundation cracks, gaps in siding, around window casings, attic vents, etc. Most of them remain dormant during the winter, but occasionally they begin to stir and find their way into living spaces, becoming a nuisance during the winter and spring.
Plunkett’s Fall Invader Service results in a significant reduction in the number of fall invaders overwintering in your home. The treatment involves a thorough application or residual spray to cracks and crevices on the exterior of the home.
Ready to get started? Contact Plunkett’s today!
Box Elder Bug Control With Plunkett's
At Plunkett’s, our goal is to help you quickly, conveniently, and in the most cost-effective way. We make every effort to be with you asap, usually within a day or two.
Learn More
There are a good number of flying insects that are particularly likely to make pests of themselves around your home. Some of the most common examples of flying insects Plunkett’s encounters frequently include:
