How to Get Rid of Boxelder Bugs Outside
Boxelder bugs do not cause injury to people or animals, and in fact, they do not even cause significant damage to trees or landscape plants. However, boxelder bugs can become a nuisance as when they are crushed, they give off an offensive odor. Outside, boxelder bugs will congregate on patios. On warm days during winter and early spring, you may find boxelder bugs on light-painted surfaces outdoors on the south and west sides of the house basking in the sun. There are ways to get rid of boxelder bugs outside without using insecticides. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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Remove any boards, leaves or rock piles from your yard. Boxelder bugs love these types of hiding places. Removing their hiding place deters them from your yard.
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Eliminate host trees. The box elder tree provides the main food source for the boxelder bug. Remove these trees to control this pest. You will have the most success if you remove the female or pod-bearing trees, as this will help stop the establishment of new box elder trees in your yard.
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Aim a forceful stream of water from a hose directly at any boxelder bugs you may see on tree trunks, sidewalks or patios. Doing this will wash them away and drown them.
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4
Boil water and pour the boiling water on a cluster of boxelder bugs to kill them.
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Tips & Warnings
Keep in mind that boxelder bugs will only be around until cold weather sets in, so if you can tolerate them, then the best solution may be to ignore them until they go away.
If you must get rid of boxelder bugs outside but don't want to have to kill them, start first by removing their hiding places and making your yard unappealing to them.
If you use boiling water to kill boxelder bugs, do so with caution as boiling water can also kill grass and plants.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit bug image by Marek Kosmal from Fotolia.com
