What Is a Box Elder Bug?

Appearance

• An adult box elder bug measures 1/2 inch in length. It has red and black stripes over the body, with the wings overlapping each other to assume an X. The mating season is in summer. The box elder nymph measures just 1/16 inch and is bright red when it hatches. As the nymph matures into an adult, it gets the characteristic red and black coloration.

Lifecycle and Biology

• Box elder bugs come out of the overwintering sites and begin feeding on low-growing vegetation in spring and the early part of summer. They begin mating two weeks after they start feeding. In mid-July, the females move to seed-bearing box elder trees and begin to lay eggs on the branches, trunks and leaves. They like to feed on maple and ash trees.

  If the population of these pests is high, nymphs are obvious on the ground throughout the summer months. They start leaving the trees toward the end of summer and beginning of fall to look for places to overwinter. Box elder nymphs may appear until end of fall, but just the fully grown bugs tend to survive harsh winter months.

  Adult box elder bugs live just for a few days to a week. Once the weather warms up, the bugs that survive move outdoors to feed, mate and reproduce.

Boxelder Bug Control

• If there is a female seed-bearing box elder tree close by, remove it. However, this may help just partially, as there will still be trees that the bugs feed on. Removing those trees will show better results, as the bugs tend to overwinter close to the trees they feed on. Sealing cracks in the walls and screening the entrances are helpful. Control is more difficult when they enter the house.

  Spraying residual insecticide in cracks in the walls and the areas where the bugs like to dwell is also an effective method of control. Most insecticides used for home exteriors are not effective on box elder bugs. Using laundry detergent is an effective way to get rid of these bugs, provided you spray the detergent directly on them.

  Using aerosol insecticide sprays in the house and vacuuming the bugs can help to get rid of them. Both of these measures are temporary.

Disadvantages of Using Insecticides

• When you spray insecticides on the bugs directly, they may damage the vegetation too. Also, if the insecticide does not fall on the insect directly, there will be no effect. Household cleaners are only a temporary remedy. Bugs can continue to come into the house until the end of May.

  Spraying box elder, maple and ash trees is not an effective method of control, as the bugs can fly up to a distance of 2 miles.