How to Get Rid of Boxelder Bugs

The boxelder bug (or box elder beetle) isn’t much of a pest. It’s more of a nuisance. Boxelder bugs
are about ½ inch long, have red striping on their bags and have a bright red belly. They swarm inside
homes during the late fall and winter months to live in a warmer indoor environment. They do very
little damage, although they can stain furniture and carpeting with their droppings and they stink to
high heaven if you step on them (a jarringly wonderful defensive mechanism against their natural
enemies). Luckily, you can get rid of boxelder bugs without stepping on them.

Boxholder Bug Damage

Nothing to speak of. Not much. Very little. Hardly any at all. Let’s face it, boxelder bugs
pose no serious threat to life, home or the pursuit of happiness. They suck the juices of
boxelder trees (hence their name), but not enough to harm the tree. Boxelder bugs do no
damage to crops, nor do they eat wood, carry disease, bite, buzz or sting. Their only crime is
that of annoyance. Homeowners find it irritating to have clusters of bugs living alongside
them during the winter months.

You Can Get Rid of Boxelder Bugs

Boxelder bugs are harmless nuisances that find their way inside homes during the fall and
winter. They do very little damage, but they can soil fabrics. Vacuuming and brooming are
the accepted methods of getting rid of boxelder bugs, but sprays will also work. To prevent
boxelder bugs from entering your home, repair cracks and crevices around your house and
keep leaf piles away from your house. Good luck in your quest to remove boxelder bugs.

Keep Them Out

Boxelder bugs cannot get into your house if they have no entry point. Check the
perimeter of your home for cracks, holes and crevices. Seal them with caulk or putty. Not
only will this boxelder bugs from getting inside, but it will help with your heating bills.

Commercial bug sprays will also kill boxelder bugs. A more organic way to get rid of
boxelder bugs is to spray them with a mixture of equal parts detergent and water.

Get Rid of Boxelder Bugs

This Sucks

There is a very simple solution to get rid
of boxelder bugs once they are inside your
house. Vacuum. They are fairly simple to
find since they tend to congregate in one
area and they put up very little
resistance. You can also broom them into
a dustpan because they are so tame. don’
t they?)

Spray Them

Cutting down a mature and beautiful
boxelder tree is the obvious solution to
your boxelder bug problem. Of couse,
this approach may consequences if the
tree is in your neighbor’s yard. Boxelder
bugs can travel several blocks away from
their tree source.

Cut Down The Tree

raked leaves during the fall months.
Make sure you have no leaf piles sitting
in piles of Boxelder bugs like to live
directly next to your house. Rake all
leaves away from your house to keep
boxelder bugs away from your siding and
foundation.

Leaf Piles

by Ted Curtis

Sites and Blogs about Boxelder Bugs

A few of our favorite boxelder bug sites are Get Rid of Boxelder Bugs Completely, eHow, Do Your Own Pest Control and Diatect. These sites are fonts of
information for getting rid of boxelder bugs.

There are excellent products available online. Amazon offers a
comprehensive list of brand name products at inexpensive cost in their Home
and Garden Store. They even have a special section for Pest Control. Amazon
is the largest online purveyor of pest control products.

Pest Control from Amazon

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This article is intended to educate and entertain. The author of this site does not accept responsibility for any damage or injury
resulting from information dispersed on this site. Always check with experts when dealing with dangerous substances and situations.