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Box
Elder Bug
Characteristics –
Size: Up to 1/2-inch long.
Color: Ranges from gray to black with red crossing stripes on
the wings. Nymphs have bright red abdomens.
Behavior –
A number of insects have discovered that heated buildings are ideal for
surviving the cold of winter. Such pests include box elder bugs, cluster flies,
and lady beetles. As the weather cools in late summer and early fall, the sun
warms the southern and western walls of buildings. The warmth attracts these
insects to buildings where they crawl inside cracks and stay there for the
winter. This would be fine, but during warm winter days, some insects "wake
up" and end up on the inside of the building.
Habitat – Box elder bugs feed on maple and box elder trees
and usually infest buildings where these types of trees are nearby.
Tips for Control – The best way to control such pests is by
prevention as described below. If it's too late and they are already inside, it
takes a professional to find and treat the right areas to minimize the numbers
of pests seen inside. If your home has experienced a problem with over wintering
pests, take the following steps next summer to prevent a recurrence:
 | Seal as many cracks and holes on the outside of the home as possible,
especially on the south and west walls where the sun heats the home during
the late summer and fall.
| Be sure that all foundation and attic vents have tight-fitting screens.
| Check the soffit vents and any gable vents or turbine vents on the roof.
| Have your Carson professional treat the outside west and south walls of
the home near the eaves. This treatment should be completed in mid- to late
August. |
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