boxelder on houseBoxelder bugs are about a ½ inch long and will be found near boxelder trees or maple trees. Boxelder bugs hibernate in the winter and live about one year. They cause little to no damage but become a pest when they invade homes in the fall often in large numbers.

Treatment/Control

Treatments for boxelder bugs should be made in late august or early to mid-September before they gain entry into the home. We treat the home’s exterior paying particular attention to the warm sunny sides of the home. Focus treatments on cracks and crevices, around windows and doors, the siding and soffits and fascia. Once in your home most insecticide treatments are impractical. Use a vacuum and suck up bugs as you see them the use of glue board traps where boxelders are entering or sightings are common will aid in decreasing numbers.

Prevention

Check the screens on windows, doors, and vents. Check weather strips and thresholds on windows, doors and garages. Seal cracks in the foundation, under siding, around windows and doors, and soffits and fascia focusing your efforts on the warm sunny sides of the home.