Question
Jim-
We own a home in a suburb of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. There is a small cluster of trees in the rear of our backyard. We have noticed that the stones (used instead of mulch)contains a slender bug that has a red back. It flies, now likes to hang on our windows, siding, etc.. It is very quick to react to your presence and/or bug spray. The major concern is that they are very interested in the first course of our vinyl siding.(starter strip area, between the basement wall and the siding)We have heard that if they work their way into your home - you could have a HUGE PROBLEM on your hands. I don't want to declare a war on nature but what is the BEST answer to something to deter their interest in our house and yard. Everything has one thing it just can not tolerate and we need to know what it is. If it is a commercial product or a home remedy solution please advise. I don't want to "try" something, I want to "USE" something and get rid of these persistent pests. Thank you,

Answer

Boxelder bugs are common pests over much of the United States.
Adults are about 1/2 inch long.
They are bright red or black with narrow reddish lines on the back.

Box elder bugs feed principally by sucking juices from the boxelder tree, but are sometimes found on other plants.

They do very little damage to the trees they attack, but at certain times of the year they can become a nuisance.
Boxelder bugs develop by gradual metamorphosis, from egg, to nymph, then to adult.

When boxelder bugs build up to large populations and invade a home they are usually pests only by their presence, although their piercing-sucking mouthparts can sometimes puncture skin, causing slight irritation. Box elder bugs do very little damage to the trees they attack, but at certain times of the year they can become a nuisance. Boxelder bugs develop by gradual metamorphosis, from egg, to nymph, then to adult.

Adult boxelder bugs will enter structures int he fall, seeking winter shelter.

They seek shelter in protected places such as houses and other buildings, cracks or crevices in walls, doors, under windows and around foundations, particularly on south and west exposures.

Boxelder bugs can come out even during the dead of winter when it is cold outside and the sun is shining.

They will then emerge in the spring to seek out host trees on which to feed and lay eggs.

HOW TO GET RID OF BOXELDER BUGS:



Once boxelder bugs have become established in the home, there aren't a lot of treatment options.
There are not a lot of recommended chemical measures at this point.
The easiest way to remove boxelder bugs, once they are indoors, is with a vacuum cleaner.

However, PREVENTION , is the best of all choices .
This is done during the Fall time.

To help prevent boxelder bugs, cluster flies, lady bugs and similar pests from entering in the fall, outdoor, fast-acting syntehtic pyrethroids :   Demon WP,  or Demand SC   Tempo WP  or Tempo SC are recommended.


Spray around eaves, attic vents, windows, doors, under-fascia lips, soffits, siding(including under lips) and any other possible points of entry, concentrating on the south and the southwest sides .

Shady areas are less likely to attrack lady bugs.

Mechanical means of exclusion:

Sealing box elder bugs out by caulking cracks and around utility service openings, fixing broken window screens and door jams, plugging cracks in the foundation or roof as well as similar exclusion-type activities will help prevent the lady beetles from entering in the first place.