Boxelder Bug Control

Boxelder bugs emerge from overwintering sites when the weather warms up:

• The bugs aggregate in large numbers around a hosting plant or tree. There is no noticeable damage to the trees, but the extreme amount of boxelders can be visually disturbing.
• During this time, the boxelders begin to mate. In mid-July, the females lay their eggs on the trunks, branches, and leaves of the host tree.
• During the late summer and fall, boxelders start to leave the trees and search for a protected area to spend the winter. Adult boxelder bugs can fly several blocks and in some cases they can even fly as far as two miles looking for shelter from the cold. Some homes are more appealing than others to boxelders. The most important factor is the amount of sun exposure a given house may have. Boxelders like the warmth from the sun and are attracted to buildings with large areas of western and southern exposure.
• As the weather cools, the boxelders push into cracks and spaces around a home expecting to overwinter there. During the winter, they may stay in walls, foundations, and attics and remain until the weather warms the next spring.
• Once the warm weather arrives again, they will enter the home’s interior from the overwintering areas looking for a way outside. They will often follow the warmth into the home’s living areas and typically move toward windows or other warm areas.