THE BOX ELDER INVASION...

Spring is here!! The blooming flowers, green grass and birds singing bring a smile to our faces but with that comes the dreaded box elder bugs. These bugs tend to blanket the sides of homes working their way inside around doors and windows.

Box elder bugs are small and oval shaped. They also have wings and are identifiable by the red stripes along their bodies. During the spring and summer months they infest box elder, ash and maple trees. They lay their rust colored eggs in their host tree or on the leaves of the tree. The eggs hatch in a couple days and develop completely in a few months.

The box elders eat plants such as flowers and leaves. They can destroy the trees that they live in by sucking out all the nutrients that the tree provides.

These bugs are very frustrating but they shouldn't be feared. Box elder bugs are unlike fleas, ticks and bedbugs because they don't feed on blood, they also don't bring in diseases like rodents and they don't destroy your home like carpenter ants. Many reports say that they don't bite but some of us have felt their sharp little pinprick bites. These insects don't have venom, they don't break the skin or cause adverse side-effects.

When these bugs feel threatened they give off a smelly odor, and they also tend to leave stains in their wakes. Many spiders and other insects don't like snacking on box elder bugs because of their natural "smelly" defense system.

If you have a problem with box elder bugs around your home you can try a few measures on your own to keep them somewhat under control. They are not very good swimmers so simply hosing down your deck, siding and shrubs on a regular basis may help out until Xtreme Weed & Pest Solutions can get to your home. Also make sure you have weather stripping around doors and windows to prevent them from entering your home. Taking care of noticeable cracks and placing screens over vents will help keeping them outside.

Xtreme Weed & Pest Solutions are here for you. We offer a number of safe and effective treatments for box elder bugs.