Box elder bugs can be a nuisance as they enter and invade your home in large numbers. When squashed, they emit a foul odor and stain clothes, furniture and curtains. They enter homes as the temperature starts to drop. The adult Box elder bugs is red and black and approximately 1 and half inches long. The bugs are harmless and do not bite.
The Box elder bugs gather in Autumn on footpaths, walls and tree trunks. The bugs group together for warmth and, as Winter draws near, they start to travel into your house via any cracks or gaps in your house’s exterior.
Box elder bugs inhabit the Elder Maple tree, and mainly feed on its seeds and sap. They also feed on other types of maple tree. In order to exterminate them, you may not be able to eliminate the trees in your neighborhood so it’s best to survey some of these steps.
Drione Dust
If you want to retain some of your trees, first cover any cracks in your foundation and any openings in doors and windows. Use a vacuum cleaner to confiscate any existing bugs and use a mild soap or detergent to spray onto the bugs to exterminate them.
Box elder bugs
Let’s assume you want to retain your trees, and then you must first deal with the invading box elder bugs. First, make sure you’ve sealed any obvious cracks in your foundation, and check for openings around doors and windows. Repair or replace broken window screens.
There are many products on the market that can be used to exterminate Box elder bugs. You can use a generic pesticide, but ensure that no humans, children or pets are inside at the time of spraying. Use a foam sealant or liquid sealer to seal all the nooks and crannies of your home so that the bugs won’t move in. Then, use a hand duster to apply Drione dust to the cracks. This is a powerful repellent which deters bugs from entering your house.
Box elder bugs extermination
To exterminate Box elder bugs at their source, use Cypermethrin on their nest and the source trees. Use a sprayer to apply this chemical to the leaves branches and trunks of the tree. By reducing their numbers this way, you will be able to control the amount that could find their way into your house. Use this chemical on a regular basis every Autumn and Summer to ensure that no colonies of Box elder bugs can form within these trees.
There are a lot of products on the market which contain Cypermethrin as a base, so it’s worth reading the ingredients list on the can to see if this chemical is a component.