What the Baby Boxelder Bug Boom of 2022 Means for You
“What in the world is going on with all of these boxelder bugs?!” you may be wondering. It has been a crazy couple of years in more ways than one. In this article you will learn why effective boxelder bug extermination is a must in 2022.
Learn about why there was a baby boxelder bug boom in 2022 along with some answers to frequently asked questions about these seasonal pests. We also explain how we thoroughly treat for these pests, and we are happy to prove that we are the best boxelder bug exterminator in the Twin Cities metro area and beyond.
Read on to learn more about these crazy boxelder bugs MN is faced with and how we are dealing with the boxelder bugs Minnesota needs to get rid of. Give us a call at any time to talk to an expert and get a free quote: 651-342-9489.
Table of Contents
- Boxelder bugs in the news: Baby boxelder bug boom 2022
- Baby boxelder bugs in your yard
- FAQs about boxelder bugs
- How we treat for boxelder bugs
- Conclusion & next steps
Boxelder Bugs in the News: Baby Boxelder Bug Boom 2022
You learned about boxelder bugs last fall with these fall invaders all over homes, businesses, sheds, garages, and more. If you didn’t, check out our post on boxelder bug control. While boxelder bugs can be confused with stink bugs, they are pretty distinctive with their black bodies and red tinges around their bodies and wings, under their wings too.
Baby boxelder bugs are primarily red, which makes them even more distinctive then their adult parents. The color red on animals and insects can often be a warning sign, but in this case there is nothing to worry about. Baby boxelder bugs are just red.
Many had tons of boxelder bugs in the fall and the bugs snuck inside to overwinter. That’s why come January, February, or March many were calling pest control companies wondering where these fall pests came from.
We’ve had several calls year-round now for boxelder bugs, and it is abnormal to other years in this way: typically we only get boxelder bug calls in the fall. This means that the invasion is not over. In fact, it’s far from over.
We saw the news reports come in last fall confirming our suspicion that it was an abnormal season: way too many boxelder bugs.
We saw the news reports still this spring, why are there still so many boxelder bugs?
Last year was the perfect storm (because there weren’t many storms). Boxelder bugs thrive in droughts and last year it was dry. We just didn’t realize it until the fall, just how much they had thrived. But, are these flying pests more than just a nuisance? The short answer is no. The longer answer is: it depends if you have allergies from bugs in the wall stirring up allergens.
This influx of boxelder bugs will continue until more and more rain comes. Rain help suppress their mating and reproduction, as does pest control. If your home or yard has boxelder bugs or baby boxelder bugs, you might want to think about getting a pesticide application.
While there have been some storms this year, there has been some dry spells. As this hot, dry summer continues, the baby boxelder bugs come out in full force.
Baby Boxelder Bugs in Your Yard
Boxelder bugs feed on maple, ash, and boxelder tree seeds. So, when they lay their eggs, they lay them near these food sources. Lucky you if you have one or more of these trees in your yard: you are bound to have these pests annually. But, don’t remove the trees, UMN urges, since the boxelder bugs fly anyway. If your neighbors have maple, ash, or boxelder trees, you’ll get the boxelder bugs on your home just the same. So don’t think that just because you don’t have these trees that your home won’t be covered in boxelder bugs come fall.
Baby boxelder bugs are bright red and have been known to cover fences, river rock, patio rock, retaining wall bricks, and generally any other warm area of your yard.
Boxelder bugs are harmless, though they can stir up seasonal allergies if they get into your home. If you have seasonal allergies, you may want to consider seasonal pest control, to ward off any bugs from dying inside your home, in the wall voids.
FAQs About Boxelder Bugs
If you’re like me, you’re curious as to the why of any little thing, be it how something works or how there got to be so many boxelder bugs this year. Feel free to read the answers to the questions you’ve been wondering the answer to.
Are boxelder bugs harmful?
No, boxelder bugs are not harmful. They feed on tree seeds of ash, maple, and boxelder bug trees. Boxelder bugs don’t damage the trees or basically anything. At most, they may leave a little bit of a stain when you squish them.
Are boxelder bugs poisonous?
No, boxelder bugs are not poisonous to humans or animals, though due to their foul odor and bitter taste your pet may feel sick if it ingests many bugs. Rest assured that due to the taste, if your pet consumes any boxelder bugs or Asian lady beetles, they will probably not consume many and seek out more tasty food.
Are boxelder bugs dangerous?
No, boxelder bugs are not dangerous. At most they are a nuisance to homeowners and tenants. Once they’ve gotten in the wall voids of a home, it is possible that they can stir up some allergens and dust, but they are not dangerous in any way.
Can boxelder bugs bite?
No, boxelder bugs do not bite. They are fairly tame insects. Asian lady beetles have been known to bite, however. Because these are both fall pests, it warrants fall pest control treatments.
Why are there so many boxelder bugs this year?
There are so many boxelder bugs this year due to the dry weather we had last year. Spring, summer, and fall 2021 were fairly dry. Boxelder bugs thrive in dry weather, resulting in a lot of mating and reproduction.
The same thing happened in 2018 with mice. Spring, summer, and fall 2018 were pretty wet seasons, meaning there were a lot of rain events. Mice stayed inside to stay dry, safe, and warm, and reproduced like crazy. Pest control companies across Minnesota and certainly the Twin Cities metro area saw mouse calls come in very steadily all year long.
When will boxelder bugs go away?
Boxelder bugs will go away as we experience more and more rain events throughout the year. Spring, summer, and fall 2021 were fairly dry seasons and 2022 hasn’t been a particularly wet year either. The more rain events we have will dampen the active areas of boxelder bugs and they will die off.
That, or if everyone gets fall pest control applications, we can knock down the populations much quicker too. But, naturally, over the course of the next couple of years, depending on the rain events, their populations should decline back to a normal rate.
Just like how the populations of mice in 2019 and 2020 decreased from their big boom in 2018, the populations of boxelder bugs will too, but it will take time. You can help knock down these flying pests populations with a simple call to Done Right Pest Solutions for a fall exterior power spray.
When are boxelder bugs most active?
Boxelder bugs are most active in the warm, dry months. During this time they mate and you can find them chilling on fencing, rock, retaining walls, and other areas across your yard. In other years you probably didn’t notice them. Boxelder bugs also love the warm, sunny fall days, and they “sun themselves” on siding of homes and businesses. Folks often call pest control companies when they see all of the boxelder bugs on their homes.
Boxelder bugs are not dangerous. At most they are a nuisance to homeowners and tenants. Once they’ve gotten in the wall voids of a home, it is possible that they can stir up some allergens and dust, but they are not dangerous in any way.
How do you get rid of boxelder bugs?
If you have a lot of time on your hands, the Dawn dish soap method can work. Dish soap will kill boxelder bugs, Asian lady beetles, and stink bugs on contact, but it provides no residual so you’ll have to reapply regularly (daily, ideally) in order to ensure these bugs don’t come into your home.
Otherwise, you can hire a professional and licensed pest control company to get rid of your boxelder bugs and keep them away! There is no quick fix that you can really do to get rid of boxelder bugs.
How We Treat for Boxelder Bugs
Let us prove that we are the best boxelder bug exterminator in the Twin Cities metro area MN!
Typically we treat preventatively for boxelder bugs, Asian lady beetles, stink bugs, and hornets, and wasps in the fall with a fall exterior power spray for these fall invading insects.
Our technicians begin your fall exterior service or boxelder bug control service by removing any cobwebs, 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, hornets and wasps 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!
But what do you do in the summer? Good question. Our skilled technicians would use a similar product or the same fall product, but instead of coating your home yet, they will focus on the areas where the baby boxelder bugs and adult boxelder bugs already are! It’s that simple.
Our one-time service comes with a 2 month warranty, but we would recommend you think about our Peak Seasons Plan, which will cover you again in the fall with that fall exterior power spray, so any neighboring boxelder bugs don’t get in your home.
The Peak Seasons Plan comes with 3 exterior treatments and has a 12 month warranty. This is our most commonly purchased residential plan and our customers’ reviews speak for themselves!
Feel free to give us a call to get a free quote for both the one-time service and the annual service. 651-342-9489. Our expert staff would love to help answer any questions you may have. We have a highly educated staff and expert technicians and we are ready to be your boxelder bug exterminator!
Further reading: How to Know if the Peak Seasons Plan is for You, Residential Pest Control.
Need your boxelder bugs taken care of? Give our office a call today for a free quote: 651-342-9489.
Conclusion & Next Steps
Hopefully you learned a lot about this baby boxelder bug boom 2022 and more. You learned what boxelder bugs are attracted to, what they eat, and how they reproduce in hot, dry weather. You even learned answers to some of the frequently asked questions, like, “When are boxelder bugs most active?”
You also learned how we treat for boxelder bugs, so if you need a boxelder bug exterminator we will prove we have the best boxelder bug extermination services in the Twin Cities metro area.
We hope you’ll consider us for all of your fall invading insects pest control needs and seasonal pest control.
Give us a call for a free quote at 651-342-9489 or email us at donerightpestsolutions@gmail.com to get started!
We can’t wait to help you keep these pests out of your yard.
Here when you need us,
Done Right Team
Did you have a baby boxelder bug boom in your backyard? If so, did you try to get rid of them on your own or did you hire a professional? We’d love to hear from YOU in the comments!
Want to learn more about different pests? Or maybe about services and promotions we offer? Sign up for our free newsletter!
You ought to take part in a contest for one of the best websites on the net. I am going to highly recommend this website!