Boxelder bugs can take over your home – and that’s most annoying!
Now, these bugs can be annoying pests, but they don’t bite or harm people. Boxelder bugs, which are residents of the boxelder tree, want to eat boxelder seeds and leaves, as well as the seeds and leaves of the common Maple or Ash tree.
They come into contact with humans because they are a factor of many suburban gardens, as well as rural gardens, in North America.
If you have experienced a home invasion in the Fall from boxelder bugs and want to know if and how you can get rid of them, this article will share all you need to know about the pest as well as a few proven methods to evict them from your property!
So, Just What Are These Boxelder Bugs?
Boisea tivittata, also referred to as the boxelder bug, is a native North American bug, making it home in boxelder, ash, and maple trees.
If you live in the Eastern US through to Nevada, it is likely that there are boxelder bugs in your area.
It is a true bug, which means it has piercing and sucking mouthparts like the other 80,000 species of related bugs.
What Do Boxelder Bugs Look Like?
If you’ve been under an infestation before, they should definitely be recognizable, but without them being in large amounts you might easily overlook them.
Adult boxelder bugs launch three or so weeks earlier than the adults. They are a little over half an inch, flattened, boring dark color with red-orange wing veins and abdomen markings.
The wings of a mature boxelder bug overlap in an “X” pattern on the back. Its legs AND antennane are both black.
While You Have Noticed: Its eggs are yellow but become red as their nymphs developed. The wingless nymphs of this species are easier to notice because they are red.
Boxelder Bugs Are Tree-dwelling Residents That Are Most Active in Late Summer Through Fall
Boxelder bugs show up in the late spring when they leave their hibernation period, just as the developing tender leaves of the boxelder trees are appearing.
After May, they will colonize host trees and take advantage of the growing season to feed and reproduce.
The female boxelder bugs will lay their eggs in the crevices of tree bark, with nymphs hatching about two weeks later.
The nymphs immediately begin feeding on the foliage of the boxelder tree by sucking sap with specially adapted piercing mouthparts.
They will feed this way until they mature.
In a year with a long spring and summer, you may see two generations of these bugs with adults hibernating in the late fall.
Do Boxelder Bugs Bite People?
Boxelder bugs ain’t known for biting people. They ain’t dangerous pests, however, you still need to keep them managed. You don’t have to be worried about them hunting people’s skin.
Do Boxelder Bugs Bite Pets?
Boxelder bugs don’t bite pets. The boxelder bug is harmless to your dog and cat.
What Do Boxelder Bugs Eat?
Boxelder bugs mainly suck sap out of boxelder trees and red or silver maples, but they can feed on other plants as well.
They also have been known to feed on ash and maple sap, boxelder seed pods, and maple seeds, and will feed on raspberries and strawberries if they cannot find their primary food source.
Their feeding methods do not do serious damage to plants, hence they are not regarded as pests of plants.
Why Are Boxelder Bugs a Problem?
While these bugs are not harmful, they can become a nuisance to humans because they can swarm and often end up inside houses to escape the cold.
They are attracted to warm locations and will look to enter any building with a southern or western sunny exposure.
Even if boxelder bugs get annoying, it is possible you might see them sunning themselves on the wall of your home, and if they can get in, they will often crowd into that area to hang out for the winter.
Many homeowners regularly pray for these boxelder bugs and watch them actively search for a warm weathered crevice to hibernate in for that winter season.
Boxelder bugs will always seek all spaces to enter if they are able to get away with it, as they are always looking to enter or check out the warmer sunny areas inside; they explore any cracks or crevices you have:
- masonry
- walls
- doorframes
- or beneath windowsills
the vast amount of swarming bugs can be a surprise but they don’t bite, and they don’t transmit disease.
At Worst: They may stain surfaces, and if crushed will give off a very pungent odor to signal to others to get away!
What Can I Do about a Boxelder Bug Infestation?
Some property owners deal with boxelder bug infestations until they die and are looking for a hibernation area over and over again.
Getting rid of boxelder bugs can be done in various ways including physically removing them from your property and preventive measures to stop them from congregating and entering your property.
Here’s what you can do:
- Physically remove boxelder bugs wherever you find them: While boxelder bugs will stage themselves on the side of your building, you will know they are about to invade your home when you start to see them in large quantities. Take a broom and brush them away, or use a leaf vac to suck them in; if they happen to make it into your home, remove them. Swarms may need to be sucked up by the vacuum cleaner and thrown away.
- Wash or steam them off: You can hose or steam swarms of boxelder bugs off your walls to kill them.
- Use pesticide spray: It may help to use certain targeted sprays to ant boxelder bugs from gathering in large populations.
- Prevent boxelder bugs from entering your property: Stop boxelder bugs from entering your home. Block vents, screens, cracks and gaps in any window frame or seal. Clean up garden debris or clutter that is near your home that could be hiding areas for boxelder bugs.
- Remove boxelder trees: If you have a boxelder tree on your property and you are dealing regularly with an infestation with these pests, you may be left with no choice but to remove the boxelder tree.
Boxelder Bugs Round Up
Seeing boxelder bugs swarm is a classic symbol of fall. There is no way you want these little bugs running all over your home, so make sure you take action quickly before the bugs can get in.