Autumn is a glorious time with bluebird skies, brilliantly colored leaves, and box elder bugs taking up their winter residence. While most people can probably scratch the last aspect of this season, seeing lots and lots of box elder bugs is pretty typical for a lot of people.

Last week a friend sent me photos of the heaps of box elder bugs he found among the box elder trees not far from his home. At this time of the year it’s not unusual to look around these trees, as well as maples, and have it appear as if the earth is practically alive with masses of these colorful bugs.

Basically what’s happening at this time of the year is the bugs are finding a good place to hang out for the winter. They will protect themselves among the bark of trees, but unfortunately, for a lot of homeowners, they also find their way into the house, and who can blame them? A warm house is definitely more pleasant than the cold nook of a tree, but this means there are folks who are practically overrun each fall, and again in the spring when they emerge with the warmer weather.

Box elder bugs primarily feed upon the seeds of box elders and maples so they are not a problem in the garden or the home in that respect. But they are still a nuisance when they arrive in large numbers. They don’t care where they defecate, which can ruin items – or at least make them kind of gross – and box elder bugs often smell badly when squished.

Removing Box Elder Bugs

So what do you do when you’re invaded by hordes of bugs moving into your home? Suck ‘em up. If you have them in the house, the best way to remove them is to bring out the vacuum cleaner. This way you can eliminate them without crushing them causing a stinky mess.

Preventing them from entering your home in the first place takes more effort. One recommendation I’ve heard is to cut down the box elder and maple trees to eliminate their food source. Living on the prairie where it takes a quarter of a century and a lot of prayer to raise a tree of any sort, this sounds kind of horrifying to me. Plus, you have to keep in mind that they will travel a fair distance, so even if you remove trees in your yard, if your neighbor has them, they still might come over for a visit. Since the bugs feed upon the seeds of these trees, another option is to rake up the seeds from underneath the trees. (Although this doesn’t sound like much fun!)

Sealing the house

Be sure you do seal up your house to prevent them from squeezing their tiny bodies through the cracks. And if you have a significant issue every year, you might want to considering using a pesticide to create a barrier between the small red and black invaders and your cozy house. There are a lot of pesticides, including permethrin or carbaryl based products, along with several other very common insect control brands that will do a fine job of keeping them away. If you do it yourself, spray at least a 3 ft. wide perimeter around your house. Think of it as creating a pesticide moat to protect your foundation. You also might want to spray a few feet up the house and around the doors and windows. Follow the label and reapply as necessary.

For a less harsh option, many folks have good luck using diatomaceous earth. Give the ground around your home a thorough dusting and reapply any time the DE becomes damp, which could be rather frequently depending on where you live.

Box elder bugs aren’t bad, they’re just a nuisance. But if they are plaguing your home, you can certainly take measures to encourage them to spend the winter outdoors instead of snuggling up with you.

The photo is courtesy of Dick Wendell.