Hello, Loyal friends and “dog-blog” fans! Welcome back for another chapter of my series entitled Fall Season Means Unwanted Critter Guests. First off, I and all my family and colleagues here at Loyal Termite and Pest Control hope you and your family have a very Happy Thanksgiving!

I want to be as thorough as I can in giving equal time to all of our regional pests that enjoy their winters spending quality time in the comfort of your warm and cozy home. I say all; however, the critters I write about in this series are the prominent offenders in this group.

This week’s blog is about a bug that is often seen but little understood, the Boxelder Bug. They are named after their primary food source, the Box Elder tree. They can also be found on Ash trees, Maple trees, Cherry trees, and a variety of seed-bearing plants. They feed by sucking the sap from the leaves, shoots, and seeds of the host plant. I am happy to report, they are harmless to humans, and they do very little damage to the plants they feed on. The adults are approximately ½ inch in length, black in color, with red-rimmed wings. When the seasonal climate conditions are just right, Boxelder bugs will reproduce at a prolific rate. They are considered a structural invading pest because of the large numbers, and their sneaky ways, to get into a structure. Experts consider this bug more of a nuisance than a pest.


And what a nuisance they can be. I mentioned in my prior blogs that this group of bugs likes to hang out on the warm sunny side of a structure after cool nights. The Boxelder is probably the bug that practices this habit more than Stink Bugs or Lady Bugs. They love to hang out in large numbers sunning while looking for any cracks or crevices in bricks or siding to shelter in. If they are able, they will slide into a crack and hope it leads them to the ultimate “promised land”; the inside of your home!

If they do get in, they will find a comfortable spot to hide out and hibernate. However; even during the coldest winter, if the sun is out and the temperature rises slightly, Boxelder Bugs will emerge and hang out on the inside of the warm sunny windows. There is nothing creepier than to see 100’s of bugs hanging around on the inside of your windows. One shining fact is that this over-wintering group of bugs does not reproduce within buildings – Yaaaaaaaa!!! If you see them gathered in large numbers inside your home, hit them with the vacuum and take the bag or canister outside to empty.

A simple fact is if you grow Box Elder, Maple, or Ash trees on your property, adjacent to, or even in your neighborhood, you are a likely target for a Boxelder Bug infestation.
Remember to refer to the Part #1 blog in this series and complete the “punch list” I have provided. If you do, you will seal up your home and be assured these and other “Snow-bird” freeloaders will not enter and winter with you and your family!

If a situation should arise where you are simply outsmarted by the Boxelder Bugs, or others, this fall, and into the winter, you know who to call, Call Loyal! We can all do better than that. You know the “Ghostbusters” tune; Who ya’ gonna call? Call Loyal!! I say, Who ya’ gonna’ Call? Call Loyal!! I hope you will remember this little ditty if you are ever in need of responsible professional pest control. I’m a dog and I can’t shake it!

I’m going to extend this series with at least two more blogs. With that; you, your friends, and family will have good information to prepare your home and be pest responsible.

If you have any questions; give us a call, jump on our website, or check in with us on social media.

This is Hunter, Loyal Termite and Pest Control’s Certified K-9 Detective saying thank you for joining me once again for another weekly edition of my blog “What’s Buggin’ You?” I’ll bark at you again next week. Ruff! Ruff!

Fall Season Means Unwanted Critter Guests – Part #4 (Box elder Bugs) in Virginia

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