The Autumn Nuisance
As summer fades and the first chills of autumn hit the Midwest and Northeast, homeowners are often greeted by an alarming sight: thousands of black and red bugs swarming the sunny sides of their homes. The Boxelder bug is one of the most prolific 'overwintering' pests in the United States. While they pose no threat to your health or the structural integrity of your home, a severe infestation is an extreme nuisance that requires professional foresight to prevent.
Understanding the Overwintering Cycle
During the spring and summer, boxelder bugs live and feed exclusively on the seeds and leaves of female Boxelder trees (as well as some maples and ashes). They are rarely noticed during this time.
The Fall Migration
When the temperature begins to drop in September and October, their survival instinct triggers. They abandon the trees and seek out warm, sheltered locations to hibernate (overwinter). They flock to the south and west-facing exterior walls of buildings to bask in the afternoon sun. As night falls and the temperature drops, they squeeze into cracks in the siding, gaps around window frames, and unscreened attic vents to escape the cold.
The Winter Wake-Up
If they successfully nest inside your wall voids, the problem is compounded during the winter. As you run your home's central heating, the warmth penetrates the wall voids, tricking the bugs into thinking spring has arrived. They emerge from their hibernation state and crawl out into your living areas—often swarming sunny windowsills by the dozens in the dead of January.
Professional Prevention is the Only Cure
Once boxelder bugs are inside your wall voids, there are very few treatment options available. You cannot safely spray pesticides inside your walls to kill them, as the resulting mass of dead bugs would attract carpet beetles and other secondary pests. The strategy must be entirely preventative.
PRO-TIP: The key to stopping boxelder bugs is timing. A professional exterminator must apply a highly residual, micro-encapsulated insecticide to the exterior of the home in late August or early September. When the bugs land on the siding to bask in the sun later in the fall, they pick up a lethal dose of the chemical before they have the chance to squeeze inside.
Securing the Envelope
In addition to chemical barriers, physical exclusion is critical. Homeowners should repair torn window screens, install tight-fitting door sweeps, and use high-quality silicone caulk to seal gaps around all utility penetrations and window frames before the fall migration begins.
Don't wait until your house is covered in bugs. Stay ahead of the season by connecting with our preventative pest control partners in Richardson to schedule your late-summer exterior barrier.
For those dealing with massive overwintering swarms, reach out to our Plano extermination experts to secure your home's exterior and keep the bugs out in the cold.