How to Get Rid of Boxelder Bugs

While Boxelder bugs are not known for causing harm to humans or the home, these insects are often a nuisance. They are often found outside in your garden, eating away at your fruits and vegetables. However, when these bugs start swarming your home and getting into your walls, you will soon realize that you’ve had enough. The best way to truly rid your home and garden of these bugs is to contact a professional terminator, but there are a few at home methods you may want to try out first.

Getting Rid of Boxelder Bugs Outside the Home

The first area you may notice these Boxelder bugs are on a tree or plant outside your home. Boxelder bugs feed off of tree sap and really only enter the home to prepare for winter. Do your best to protect your home from a Boxelder bug invasion by closing off any openings.

Go around your house and seal off window frames, patch up foundational cracks, fill any openings around the doors, and replace any broken screens. Be sure to remove any branches or parts of trees that are leaning against your home as this can be a point of entry for the insects. If you have any old piles of wood laying around the yard, get rid of them to prevent Boxelder bugs from festering there.

Sprays, Soaps and Tools to Kill Boxelder Bugs

If you already notice a swarm of Boxelder bugs around the outside of your home, you can simply use a hose to get rid of the bugs. If you are having a hard time getting them to go away, use hotter temperatures to kill the insects on the spot.

Additionally, using insecticidal soap, borax, horticultural oil, or Pyrethrin on the outside of your house or trees are a way to get rid of Boxelder bugs. Insecticidal soap sprayed on trees or the sides of houses will encourage these bugs to stay away. Additionally, using borax around windows and door will keep the insect nuisances away. Use the horticultural oil during early season to catch the Boxelder bugs just as they start to emerge for the season. Use Pyrethrin during middle or late season to kill bugs at any stage of their life.

Using a wet-dry vacuum is actually one of the most effective ways to make sure your Boxelder bug problem is taken care of for good. Sucking these insects into the canister of the vacuum will eliminate Boxelder colonies in seconds. Having soapy water in the wet-dry vacuum will suffocate the insects as they are beings sucked in.

How to Get Rid of Boxelder Bugs within the House

When Boxelder bugs enter the home, your insect situation has escalated. Having just a few bugs around the house may not be a problem, but be careful. Just because you may see one or two bugs here and there can mean that you have a thousand more of the them living in your walls.

The best way to start getting rid of Boxelder bugs within the home is to use a vacuum cleaner. You can use either the wet-dry vac or a typical vacuum cleaner, just keep in mind that if you are using a vacuum cleaner that has a bag, do empty it outside before bringing the vacuum back in. If the vacuum is not working, you may want to try some of the soap methods you used on the outside of the home. Just be careful to not use anything poisonous while you or your family are around.

To prevent Boxelder bugs from entering inside the home, seal your windows and doors from the inside as well as the outside. If you regularly get your home tented or bombed for insects, considering doing this just before the winter Boxelder bug season. Doing so at this time should kill the bugs in their earlier stages of life.

Some people may find that they can live with Boxelder bugs for a season, and that’s okay. Typically these insects are harmless and only come inside for the winter to stay warm. If you don’t see a huge amount of these insects, your house may not be infested with them. Just keep an eye out as the winter wears on and continue to seal up your house to prevent them from invading next season.

Suggestions for Extreme Boxelder Cases

If you have a serious Boxelder bug problem, tree removal is recommended. Boxelder Bugs flock to Boxelder trees and if you have a tree that is attracting thousands of these bugs, getting rid of the tree itself may be your only solution.

If you are renovating a home that is overrun with Boxelder bugs, you may have to tear out the walls to fix your problem. While these bugs don’t commonly destroy the walls or structure of the house, the eggs and bugs themselves may have become so embedded in your home that this will seem like the only option.

For agriculturalists and farmers that are struggling with a Boxelder bug situation, you may have a different problem on your hand. Consider using stronger insecticides and horticultural oil to get rid of these pests, but do make sure you aren’t harming your crops in the process. Be sure to get rid of any Boxelder trees nearby that may be the culprit to your problems.

It may be time to consult a professional if you just can’t seem to get rid of these bugs. In an extreme case where your crops have already been destroyed by these bugs, consider moving your garden and farm elsewhere. Going through the cycle of dealing with these bugs season after season can wear down your crops, your income and you.

Professionally Exterminating Boxelder Bugs

When you have had all you can handle from these insects, it’s time to call in the reinforcement. It may take you a bit of searching to find someone that specializes in Boxelder bugs, but the research will be worth it. Having a professional that knows the ins and outs of these insects will make sure that your problem is exterminated for good.

When these exterminators come in, they may have to break down a bit of your wall in order to get into the corners where these insects have been hiding. But don’t worry- a little damage now will save you all the aggravation in the end. Getting a professional terminator to take care of your insect situation may take anywhere from one day to a week or so. The pricing also varies from exterminator to exterminator, depending on what kind of property you own and the severity of your bug problem.

Usually exterminators will come by your house first to evaluate your situation. Typically, exterminators can get rid of your insect infestation with minimal damage to your property. Due to the fact that these insects are relatively harmless, exterminators usually don’t resort to drastic measures. It may take just a few sprays of high grade insecticide to rid you of your problem for good.

Preventing Boxelder Bugs from Coming Back

After you have gone to great lengths to get rid of your Boxelder bug problem, the last thing you want to see is another Boxelder bug. The best way to prevent these bugs from returning is to do all the suggestions that were mentioned on getting rid of the Boxelder bugs on the outside of the house. Be sure to inspect your home regularly for any openings or loose sidings that you can fix before Boxelder bug season arrives. Be sure to remove any Boxelder trees to avoid them for returning and breeding again.

The Potential Harm and Damage of Boxelder Bugs

If you have seen Boxelder bugs around your home or garden, you may think they aren’t that big of a deal. Keep your eyes out for any potential damage that these bug may cause to you or your family. In some cases, Boxelder bugs have been known to bite pets and humans when they feel threatened.

While Boxelder bugs’ teeth are made for biting through fruits and vegetables, these bugs may end up biting you too. Families have also reported that their small children curiously pick these insects up and attempt to chew on them. To do the best thing for your family, just get rid of these bugs completely with a terminator’s assistance.

Additionally, the “nuisance” part of these pests comes to mind when your house is crawling with these insects and their feces are scattered throughout the house. This is in the least unsanitary and potentially dangerous. The smell these boxelder bugs leave behind as well is appalling.

So, the best thing for you to do if you see any Boxelder bugs around you home or garden is to try some of the home remedies. If you find that the soaps, water, and sealing methods do not work for you, it’s time to take things to the next level. Call around for the best Boxelder bug exterminator and take your life back from these pesky nuisances.