Close-up photo of boxelder bugs, common pests during the fall season.

Boxelder Bug Control

Boxelder bugs don’t damage the trees from which seeds they eat, but they can become nuisance pests if they enter your home. Boxelder bugs like to sun themselves on homes and businesses throughout the Twin Cities metro area and beyond, and as a result, pest control companies like Done Right Pest Solutions perform boxelder bug control regularly.

But once it gets cold, they sneak inside through cracks and crevices, hibernating or over-wintering within wall voids, if they go untreated. Most folks  see them start to come out into their homes in late winter or early spring and think, “Why do I have fall pests now?” Well, because they hibernated in your walls, they became bugs in the walls, insects in walls within your home, that’s why. This makes boxelder bug control important!

To prevent these pests from coming inside your home this fall, contact Done Right Pest Solutions for all of your boxelder bug control, fall pest control, and preventative pest control services651-342-9489.

 

       Table of Contents:

 

Boxelder Bugs

Boxelder bugs are found primarily on boxelder, maple, and ash trees because they feed almost exclusively on boxelder, maple, and ash tree seeds.

Adult boxelder bugs have signature black bodies with distinctive red lines on their wing veins, cross hatching their bodies. It appears they have a red and black tuxedo on.

Nymph boxelder bugs are bright red in color, prior to molting into the primarily black adult insects that grow to be about half an inch long.

Though the boxelder bug often is misperceived as the stink bug, it is actually a scentless plant bug. That stated, when they are squished they secrete a red stain. This causes them to be unwanted by many home owners.

 

As Pests – The Importance of Boxelder Bug Control

Boxelder bugs, like Asian lady beetles, are fall invading pests. They seek to enter structures when it starts to get cold in the fall. They look for openings in foundations, around window and door frames, roof lines, and vents.

Likewise, stinging insects like the migratory wasps, hornets, and yellow jackets are also fall invading pests. They seek similar entry points, including along the soffit, gutter, and fascia area of homes and businesses.

A close-up photo of boxelder bugs, common invasive pests during the fall season.

Over-wintering pests like Asian lady beetles, lady bugs, and Boxelder bugs aren’t just nuisance pests, they can actually stir up allergens in your home. These fall pests fall into this category, along with rodents, cockroaches, bed bugs, and dust mites.

Wondering how boxelder bugs and Asian lady beetles stir up allergies? Any dead bugs in the wall voids or vents can cause respiratory or skin problems to humans and pets. As they decompose, their proteins get into the air. Depending on what people or animals have allergies to, sneezing, coughing, irritated mouth, throat, and eyes can ensue just from getting these little pests in your home.

Boxelder bugs are among the few bugs that leave brown stains on walls. And, as you’ve learned, boxelder bugs can overwinter in your home and become bugs in the walls, so it’s important to treat these flying pests at the first sight of them. Keep reading to learn how we treat for them and how you can too!

Wondering why there have been so many boxelder bugs the last few years? They had a BIG baby boom due to the drought conditions. Boxelder bug control is definitely a must in order to get these populations under control.

 

How We Treat – Boxelder Bug Control

Done Right Pest Solutions is up-to-date on preventative pest control measures to ensure that these fall invaders don’t sneak in your home. So if you’re wondering how do you get rid of boxelder bugs, here is your answer: regular application of Dawn dish soap (daily), or hire a pest control company.

Our expert technicians begin your fall exterior service or boxelder bug control service by removing any cob webs, wasp nests, and other past pest activity from the exterior of your home with their web pole that can reach high peaks of 2 story houses!

Next, the exterior spray is applied with the power sprayers from the backs of their trucks. Their hose reaches 300 feet, to ensure full treatment of larger apartment buildings as well as larger houses.

The power sprayer can reach 3 stories tall, and our pricing is based on square footage because each house is different and each pest situation is different.

Finally, a 2 month warranty is given for this service. Keep in mind that the spray applied is a direct kill agent for any crawling, flying, or stinging insects that are on your siding at that time. But, the product dries clear within 1 hour of treatment, and then the residual component kicks in.

Boxelder bugs, Asian lady beetles, and lady bugs won’t die after immediately touching it, but they will die after 8 to 12 hours of touching your siding. So, if it is a sunny day and you see a lot of these fall invading pests sunning themselves on your home, check the foundation the next couple of days. You should begin to see a lot of dead ones. That is how you know it’s working!

 

A Preventative Pest Control Option

If you have problems with Boxelder bugs annually, and/or other pest issues annually, consider our Peak Seasons Plan. This annual plan covers all of your typical pest needs throughout the year, including the fall exterior spray, described in the previous section.

The Peak Seasons Plan also includes a full spring exterior power spray and a summer foundational treatment. All of our services come with a warranty, and this service is no different. The Peak Seasons Plan comes with a 12 month warranty, so you don’t have to worry about insects in walls or flying pests of any season.

If you’re interested, check out our comparison piece regarding Reactive and Proactive Pest Control. Or check out our article that highlights frequently asked questions regarding the plan.

 

 

Conclusion & Next Steps

You’ve learned quite a bit in this short post about boxelder bugs. You learned what their food source is, what their young look like, and how they sneak inside homes and businesses.

You learned how these nuisance pests can damage your health and stir up allergens that can make you feel ill within your own home. We explored different treatment options of how we treat these fall invading pests.

Boxelder bug control is important, and for many, seasonal boxelder bug control is a must. We also explained how our Peak Seasons Plan covers you for 12 months of the year and comes with 3 seasonal exterior sprays, including the full fall exterior power spray that will prevent these pests and Asian lady beetles, hornets, wasps, and more from hibernating within your wall voids.

Done Right Pest Solutions staff has the knowledge and experience to keep you pest free this fall and beyond. Give us a call today for a free quote! 651-342-9489.

Here when you need us.

Done Right Team

 

Have you awoken to boxelder bugs in your windows on a sunny winter day? You’re not alone, but we’d love to hear your story below in the comments!

 

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