Boxelder Beetle

Boxelder Bug Facts

In the fall, boxelder bugs will congregate in large numbers on the south side of trees, rocks, and buildings, enjoying the warmth of the sun. Then as the days get colder they will seek shelter for hibernating during the winter. This is when these pests will sneak through cracks in your doors, windows, and foundation and then call your wall voids and attic their home for the winter. Boxelder bugs are just an annoyance and are harmless. On warm winter days, you may find some wandering around your living space where they will leave reddish stains from their droppings on your curtains and other surfaces and emit a bad smell when crushed. Boxelder bugs are found throughout the eastern United States and west to eastern Nevada.

Boxelder Bug Bites

Boxelder bugs very rarely, if ever, bite people. The mouthparts of these insects do have the ability to prick the skin and may leave a tiny red dot, but are otherwise harmless.

Boxelder Bug Infestation

These insects primarily suck sap from leaves, seeds, and young twigs of seed-bearing boxelder trees. Boxelder bugs will also feed on seed-bearing silver maple trees and have been known to drink the juice from plums and apples.

Boxelder bugs emerge from their winter hiding places in the spring when the boxelder trees begin to bud. Females will find a protected crevice, usually in the bark of a tree, to lay their eggs. The eggs are yellowish at first then become redder as they get closer to hatching.

There are often two generations of boxelder bugs per summer in warmer regions of the United States. Larger populations of boxelder bugs have been connected to longer summers that are hot and dry.

Boxelder bugs will begin gathering in large numbers in the autumn, usually resting where the sunlight hits the side of a house, rock, or tree. Then they will search for a protected place whether it be a tree hole or wall void to spend the winter.

The name boxelder bug comes from the fact that these insects live, breed and feed upon boxelder trees. Boxelder bugs will hide in the bark of the boxelder tree, but other common hiding places include rocks, leaves, and other debris, stacks of firewood and, of course, attics, and wall voids.

Types of Boxelder Bugs

Boxelder Bug Identification

Boxelder bugs are usually about 1⁄2 inch long with flat backs. Their bodies are a dark brown, almost black color and they have three reddish stripes behind their heads and two more red strips on each wing. The forewings of boxelder bugs begin thick and tough at the base then become more thin and transparent toward the tips, while the hind wings are completely membranous. Boxelder bugs have mouthparts made for piercing and sucking.

Boxelder Bugs in the House & the Apartment

Keep boxelder bugs out of your house in the fall before they enter your house to hibernate. On warm days throughout the winter and early spring, the insects become active. Then you may see boxelder bugs crawling around in your living space.