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It’s fall! It’s sad to think that yet another summer has gone by, but it’s also exciting to think that pretty soon the holidays will be upon us. This is a transitional time for many of us. Some of us may be recovering from busy summer months of family vacations, summer jobs and barbecue’s; while others may be planning a busy winter of school, vacations, skiing and family holidays. Either way, it’s a time to move away from one season and get geared up for another. Believe it or not, it’s the same thing for boxelder bugs.
Adult boxelder bugs are small, black bugs with red and orange markings whereas baby boxelder bugs are much more red and orange than black. These bugs spend the warmer months of the year in boxelder trees. They feed on the leaves, seeds and buds of boxelder trees. They like them so much that they lay their eggs on them too. These bugs literally eat where they live. It’s a pretty good life for them until it starts to get cool. When the mercury level starts to drop these tree loving bugs head for warmer ground.
Usually in mid to late October, boxelder bugs start searching for a safe and warm place to spend their winter. Often, they end up crawling around, in large groups, on the warm sunny walls of homes and find themselves going into these homes through imperfections in the exterior walls and insect screens. Wall cavities are a perfect place for these large groups of heat seeking winter refugees to stay. They may not be dangerous, but they certainly are not a welcomed winter guest.
In the spring when the temperatures begin to rise again, and the buds start to emerge on the boxelder trees, the boxelder bugs sneak out of their winter hiding spots and look for a way back outside to their favorite trees. Sadly, this is usually the first time that the homeowners realize that these bugs have been inhabiting their walls all winter. It may not be so bad if they would just quietly exit the way that they entered and just slip away and no one would be none the wiser. Unfortunately, they don’t do that. They head to windows and sunny spots within your home and on route they can make stains on fabric and furniture if they happen to meet their demise. These bugs can bite, even though it doesn’t happen often, it still is possible. Their sheer numbers and presence is enough of a bother that no one wants them around.
The best way to ensure that you won’t have boxelder bugs in your home next spring is keeping them out now. If you have boxelder trees on or around your property, or you have had a boxelder bug problem in the past, give us a call and let our experts give you a free home evaluation. We can help you with your boxelder bug problem by keeping them and many other pests out of your house.