Boxelder Bug Facts & Information
Protect your home or business from boxelder bugs by learning techniques for identification and control.
Boxelder Bug Treatment
How do I get rid of boxelder bugs?
What You Can Do
To stop boxelder bugs from multiplying, it is often helpful to remove their host trees from the area surrounding your home, but the adults can still fly to locations off of the property.
If you choose to plant boxelder trees in your yard, choose male trees (non-seed-bearing) since female trees are more susceptible to infestation. These trees are not recommended for ornamental planting.
How Orkin Can Help Get Rid of Boxelder Bugs
In some homes, chemical product treatments might be necessary. Your local Orkin Pro is trained to help manage boxelder bugs and similar pests. Since every building or home is different, your Orkin Pro will design a unique program for your situation.
Orkin can provide the right solution to keep boxelder bugs in their place and out of your home or business.
Frequently Asked Questions
Behavior, Diet & Habits
Understanding Boxelder Bugs
What do boxelder bugs look like?
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Size: These bugs measure between 11 to 14 mm long.
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Color: Boxelder bugs are black in color and have red lines along the thorax sides. Their wings are flat and red in color.
Boxelder Bug Habitat
Their presence is bothersome due to the scent they emit when crushed and their tendency to fly around living spaces. They may emerge from walls when heat sources within the building are high and they can be located in the warmest areas of a structure’s walls.
Boxelder bugs do not nest indoors year-round. While overwintering, they do not feed or reproduce. During warmer seasons, they make their homes in boxelder maple and ash trees.
Boxelder Bug Dropping Stains
Their droppings are unsightly and leave difficult stains to remove on:
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Curtains
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Furniture
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Linen
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Walls
What do boxelder bugs eat?
These bugs feed on soft parts of boxelder trees including:
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Flowers
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Juice from host trees
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Leaves
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Twigs
Boxelder Bug Life Cycle
Life Stages
Adult boxelder bugs live and breed on leaves of boxelder trees.
Boxelder Bug Eggs
These bugs prefer to lay their eggs in these trees during spring. Their eggs are reddish brown in color, allowing them to stay well hidden in the bark of the host tree.
Boxelder Bug Nymphs
After a few days, the eggs hatch into red and gray nymphs, which eventually mature and begin the breeding process again.
Boxelder Bug Adults
Mature boxelder bugs can be found gathering in large numbers on branches and boughs. Concentrations will be heaviest in areas receiving sufficient sunlight.