How to Get Rid of Boxelder Bugs

How to Get Rid of Boxelder Bugs

When the same house gets boxelder bugs year after year, a seed-bearing female boxelder tree in the yard is often the reason. Some homeowners decide to take it down. If you do, rake up and dispose of the fallen seeds as well, since the bugs keep feeding on them. Removing the tree helps but does not always end the problem, because adults can fly in from trees on nearby lots.

Indoor insecticide treatments are usually not worth it. Boxelder bugs do not breed or build colonies inside a house. They only shelter there, so killing a few on the windowsill changes nothing. Pick them up with a vacuum, or wet clusters outside with a simple mix of dish soap and water, which kills them on contact. The longer-term answer is keeping them out: fill cracks and gaps, particularly around window frames, using caulk, expanding foam or copper mesh.

Practical Steps for Keeping Boxelder Bugs Out

Start by confirming the bug. In Florida, many suspected boxelder bugs are red-shouldered bugs. Those depend on goldenrain trees, balloon vine and soapberry rather than boxelder trees, so raking up and bagging the fallen seed pods under those plants often does more than any spray.

Time your sealing. Exclusion works best before bugs start looking for shelter, not after they are already inside. Focus on:

• Torn window and door screens
• Gaps around window AC units
• Soffit and attic vents, which can be covered with fine screening
• Openings where cables, pipes and wires enter the house
• Worn door sweeps and weatherstripping

Handle the ones indoors gently. Vacuum them up, then empty the canister or seal and toss the bag outside so the smell does not linger. Swatting them on curtains or light walls leaves marks.

Common mistakes: spraying the whole yard or tree, which kills beneficial insects and does little about bugs flying in from nearby properties, and cutting down a male boxelder tree, which produces no seeds and does not feed the bugs.

What a professional visit involves: an inspection to confirm the species and find where clusters gather and get in, sealing recommendations or exclusion work, a targeted treatment limited to the exterior surfaces where bugs collect, and a follow-up check. Florida Bug Control is family-owned, works without long-term contracts and re-treats at no extra charge if pests come back between scheduled visits. Learn more about these insects on the boxelder bug page.