Boxelder bugs are not dangerous but can be a nuisance.They ruin curtains, carpets, and clothing if they enter your home in large numbers.They can cause serious mechanical problems if they get into the vents of your home.To prevent them from congregating around your home, learn how to reduce their numbers, and hopefully to get rid of them completely.
Step 1: Pick them up by hand
This is a safe way of removing them.You can grab the bugs with a pair of gloves.There is no risk of injury or pain for boxelder bugs.These bugs can move quickly, so you need to have quick reflexes.Don't pick the bugs up if you're not careful.Boxelder bugs can give off a noxious smell, which you don't want in your home.
Step 2: They have to be swept up.
If you don't want to deal with bugs by hand, you can sweep them up with a broom.If you sweep them up gently, you can release a bad smell.If you don't want to kill boxelder bugs, you can put them back outside.The risk of the same bugs reentering your house in the future is run by this method.
Step 3: Get rid of them using a vacuum.
The easiest way to get rid of bugs in your house is to use a vacuum.When you see a boxelder bug, you need a vacuum out and ready to use.After sucking up bugs, be sure to empty your vacuum bag or canister.You can either deposit the bag into the garbage or put it in the freezer to kill the bugs.If you freeze the bugs to death, you can take the vacuum bag out of the freezer and use it again.
Step 4: Get rid of the bugs.
If you need to kill boxelder bugs, you can.A mixture of soap and water can be sprayed on the bugs.It only works when the soap mixture is wet and applied directly to the bugs, so it may need to be reapplied if new bugs emerge.If the boxelder bugs are in your house, you should not use pesticides.Bringing poison into your house can cause a health risk to you, your family, and your pets.If you don't know where the dead boxelder bugs are, you can attract other bugs that eat the carcasses.
Step 5: If there are cracks in your home, seal them up.
The main way boxelder bugs enter homes is through cracks.Ensuring that all the cracks are sealed is a cheap and effective way of fighting them.For homes with plaster, stucco, stone, or brick veneer exteriors, check the outside walls for cracks.Look for places where horizontal and vertical surfaces meet.Seal these cracks with caulking that is suitable for outside locations and the surface you are applying it to.If you want to seal the weep holes with caulk, do not do it for stone or brick veneer.You can buy a bug screen at your local hardware store.
Step 6: The screens need to be in place.
There are bugs that can come in through open windows.If you want to have your windows open, make sure you have screens covering the entire opening area.All screens on windows and doors need to be sealed.Boxelder bugs can fit through small holes.There are screens on all the vents, including kitchen and bathroom fans.
Step 7: There are places where cables, wires, pipes, or any other object can enter the house from outside.
Silicone, polyurethane, or copper mesh are materials that can be used for this purpose.If using mesh, make sure there are no gaps for bugs to fit through.To find the best caulking material for your purpose, you need to research.
Step 8: You can install door sweeps.
All doors that are open to the outside should have these put on them.bugs will not be able to enter underneath doors.The space between the floor and the bottom of the door can be filled with either a door sweep or a threshold.For a door sweep, you usually attach a strip that is specially designed for this use to the bottom, inside edge of the door with screws or some form of glue.The width of your door should be the same as the length of the strip.The door has a threshold under it.A threshold can be a tripping hazard.
Step 9: Remove boxelder, maple, and ash trees
This is an extreme measure to be taken.Food and a place for reproduction can be found in these trees.Boxelder bugs are less likely to be found in a house if they are not near it.Boxelder bugs can travel more than a mile in search of winter shelter if the trees that they feed on are removed.If you remove the trees on your property, you won't be able to keep your home free of pests.If boxelder bugs become a major problem in your community, you may consider organizing at a community-wide level.Boxelder bugs are usually only found in warm years.If you want to avoid the drastic measure of removing trees from your local habitat, use the methods described above.Female boxelder trees have bugs on them.If you want to limit the number of bugs near your home, you should remove these trees specifically.
Step 10: You can use soapy water to cover the exterior of your home.
This is a temporary solution that will keep the bugs out of your house.The boxelder bugs do not like soap and can be killed by it.If you want to keep them away from certain areas, you can apply soapy water with a sprayer or sponge.The boxelder bugs like to congregate on the sunny side of the house.It's a good place to apply soapy water.
Step 11: It is a good idea to use pesticides outside.
If possible, avoid this step because it can cause insects to die.It may be necessary to use them in extreme circumstances.You can find an appropriate pesticide at your local hardware store.Bifenthrin is one of the active ingredients for fighting boxelder bugs.Always follow the directions on the label is one of the things to keep in mind when using insecticides.It's a good idea to avoid using insecticides indoors.This can damage the inside of your house and is not as effective as using them outside.It's a good time to spray in the late summer and early fall.Boxelder bugs move from their summer homes to their winter shelter during this time of year.If you spray at this time, your efforts will be more effective.The spots where boxelder bugs congregate are the most likely to be focused on.The areas that receive a lot of sunlight as well as the openings and cracks in your home are included.Be attentive.If you notice that there is one spot where boxelder bugs congregate, spray that spot.It is possible to prevent more from entering your home in the coming days.