Winter Pest Invasion – Boxelder Bugs & Ladybugs

Winter Pest Invasion – Boxelder Bugs & Ladybugs

As the temperatures start to drop, overwintering pests start making their way indoors. Although these pests are considered to be beneficial, they become a nuisance when moving into your home in overwhelming numbers.

The two most common overwintering pests are boxelder bugs and ladybugs (ladybird beetles). Here’s what you need to know about each one and how you can prevent & get rid of them:

Boxelder Bugs

Boxelder and silver maple trees serve as the spring and summer hosts for boxelder bugs (shown above).  In the winter, they migrate by the hundreds and thousands out of these trees and begin to congregate on the south side of buildings and homes.  After reaching a large enough population, they may fly off to nearby sites to hibernate for winter, or try to enter the structure they have congregated on.

To prevent boxelders bugs from infesting your home, use similar exclusion methods mentioned above, making sure entry points are sealed. If you’re already seeing boxelders inside, the best way to remove them is with a vacuum.

To control a boxelder invasion, professional pest control methods have proven to be effective when infested trees and the surrounding areas are treated with a residual product, along with treatments on the sunny/south side of the home’s exterior.

 a swarm of boxelder bugs and a closeup of a boxelder bug

Ladybugs (Ladybird Beetles)

Ladybugs are very beneficial insects; they protect our plants by feeding on aphids, mites, scale insects, and their eggs.    But with the onset of winter and colder temperatures, large amounts of ladybugs start invading homes, making them more of a nuisance pest.  To prevent this, simple home exclusion – sealing around windows and doors, replacing broken screens, and caulking around the open voids around electrical and plumbing entry points – can be effective.  You can also caulk above windows and doors on the inside of the home, as ladybugs tend to emerge from these areas often. For added preventative protection, consider contacting a pest control company. Exterior treatments can be effective if done before ladybugs are seen indoors. (Treatment inside is not recommended once there’s a problem because the products kill/trap the ladybugs in wall voids which attracts carpet beetles and larder beetles.)

If you’re already seeing ladybugs indoors, remove them carefully being careful not to squish them; they produce a yellow, foul smelling defensive liquid that may stain whatever it comes in contact with.  Below are two pictures showing a larva Ladybug (left) and what the overwintering adult (right) look like.

Larva ladybug and adult ladybug

Winter Pest Invasion – Boxelder Bugs & Ladybugs

Winter Pest Invasion – Boxelder Bugs & Ladybugs

As the temperatures start to drop, overwintering pests start making their way indoors. Although these pests are considered to be beneficial, they become a nuisance when moving into your home in overwhelming numbers.
The two most common overwintering pests are boxelder bugs and ladybugs (ladybird beetles). Here’s what you need to know about each one and how you can prevent & get rid of them:

Boxelder Bugs

Boxelder and silver maple trees serve as the spring and summer hosts for boxelder bugs (shown above).  In the winter, they migrate by the hundreds and thousands out of these trees and begin to congregate on the south side of buildings and homes.  After reaching a large enough population, they may fly off to nearby sites to hibernate for winter, or try to enter the structure they have congregated on.
To prevent boxelders bugs from infesting your home, use similar exclusion methods mentioned above, making sure entry points are sealed. If you’re already seeing boxelders inside, the best way to remove them is with a vacuum.
To control a boxelder invasion, professional pest control methods have proven to be effective when infested trees and the surrounding areas are treated with a residual product, along with treatments on the sunny/south side of the home’s exterior.
 a swarm of boxelder bugs and a closeup of a boxelder bug

Ladybugs (Ladybird Beetles)

Ladybugs are very beneficial insects; they protect our plants by feeding on aphids, mites, scale insects, and their eggs.    But with the onset of winter and colder temperatures, large amounts of ladybugs start invading homes, making them more of a nuisance pest.  To prevent this, simple home exclusion – sealing around windows and doors, replacing broken screens, and caulking around the open voids around electrical and plumbing entry points – can be effective.  You can also caulk above windows and doors on the inside of the home, as ladybugs tend to emerge from these areas often. For added preventative protection, consider contacting a pest control company. Exterior treatments can be effective if done before ladybugs are seen indoors. (Treatment inside is not recommended once there’s a problem because the products kill/trap the ladybugs in wall voids which attracts carpet beetles and larder beetles.)
If you’re already seeing ladybugs indoors, remove them carefully being careful not to squish them; they produce a yellow, foul smelling defensive liquid that may stain whatever it comes in contact with.  Below are two pictures showing a larva Ladybug (left) and what the overwintering adult (right) look like.
Larva ladybug and adult ladybug

Warmer Temperatures Leave Boxelders Confused

With the abnormal temperatures this Winter we are seeing abnormal pest movement.  Boxelders are typically a pest that is active in the colder months when they enter homes for warmth and food.  Although temperatures are warmer than usual, we are still getting calls about boxelder bugs being in people’s homes.

The best time to have an exterminator treat for boxelder bugs is in the fall when they are trying to find shelter. Boxelder bugs like to overwinterize in warm areas, cracks and crevices of trees, rocks, and other natural areas. Our homes are a perfect habitat for them.

In the fall, it is best to apply a repellant, such as NorPest Green, that would keep them out of the structure.  A micro cap is an alternative option that is effective but cause the insects to die inside the structure. Our pest professionals will use NorPest Green along the walls and voids of a structure and/or a type of illumination device that can be used in the attic with a glue board can also help in the elimination of boxelders.

But since Spring is around the corner and we continue to have calls for these pests, a micro cap is the best option.  A micro cap works well in the Spring because it allows the pest to escape and die outside rather than inside the home.  Now is the ideal time to ensure that your home is properly sealed and caulked with expandable foam.  Using screens on doors and windows can also be beneficial.

In the Summer months, a mosquito application helps keep numbers down since they like to go through their molts on vegetation such as Maple trees and grape vines.

Have you been seeing boxelders inside your home? 

Has the abnormal temperatures affected your home in any other ways?

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