Tips To Avoid Boxelder Bugs This Fall

Boxelder bugs are a common pest in Tennessee, especially in the fall. They begin to look for a place to call home over the colder months. As winter approaches they will congregate on warm, sunny sides of homes, then wiggle through gaps and cracks in siding, and around windows and doors.

Boxelder bugs are about 1/2” in length, are black and have red stripes on their body and edge of its wings making V shapes. They are mostly attracted to boxelder trees, and silver maples, where they feed off of the moisture from the trees. In the fall when they make their way into your home, they may look for moisture in your houseplants, but they are not a danger to them or humans. The only real damage they can cause is if there is a high population of them, otherwise, they are considered a nuisance pest. The biggest problem is, boxelder bugs can get into your furniture and drapes, where their feces can cause staining.

As with any pest, once they get into your home, they are hard to remove. Prevention is the best way to avoid a boxelder bug infestation. Here are a few prevention tips that you may find useful:

• Inspect your home for openings like crevices, gaps, and cracks

• Seal those openings with caulking

• Repair or replace any damaged screens or vents

• Fill in gaps around utility lines, cables, cords, and pipes

• If you have any boxelder or silver maple trees you may want to consider removing them from your yard, but that can be costly and not very practical

If your home is already infested you will need to remove these pests. Try vacuuming them up with a long vacuum hose or sweep up the dead bug remains. Smooshing a boxelder bug can stain surfaces, so you may want to avoid that.

Russell’s Pest Control in Knoxville and Eastern Tennessee offers year-round pest prevention so that you don’t have to worry about pests, ever again. We have a variety of pest control programs to choose from that can control and prevent infestations in your home.

Our Power program protects your family, pets, and home from 30+ common pests and has a pest-free* guarantee. Additionally, our Power Gold program includes termite service and our Power Plus includes mosquito, carpenter bee, fire ant, flea and tick services. If you want it all, then our Power Platinum program is for you. We have something for everyone to suit your needs and your budget. Just give us a call today at Russell Pest Control in Tennessee, so that your home can be pest free.