Box-elder bugs are the most common insect pest of maples, oaks and boxelders. The best insecticide for boxelder bugs is a pyrethroid or neonicotinoid, such as bifenthrin, fenpropathrin, permethrin or dinotefuran. Boxelder bugs are a nuisance pest and do little harm to trees on which they feed because their mouthparts are adapted for piercing and sucking. Boxelder bugs are notorious for being pests in the fall. Boxelder bugs invade homes in the fall and can be very annoying. They tend to hide in cracks and crevices during the day and come out at night to feed on houseplants, fruits, and vegetables. Fortunately, there are many different insecticides you can use prevent boxelder bugs from coming into your home.
One of the most annoying bugs you can run into are boxelder bugs. I remember several years ago when they first made their debut in Minnesota, they were all around the house and everywhere else too, a lot of them. It was painful to get rid of such a large infestation because there were several of these suckers. I know because I had to do it myself, without any help or guidance from a professional exterminator.
What is the best insecticide to kill boxelder bugs?
Boxelder bugs are a common problem in the fall, when they invade homes to seek shelter from the cold. These harmless pests are named for their preference for living in boxelder trees and eating the seeds of these trees. The bugs can be controlled with a variety of methods, but insecticides are one of the most effective ways to kill them.
Pyrethrin-based insecticides, available at home improvement stores or on sites like Amazon, are effective at killing boxelder bugs. Wearing gloves, a safety mask and safety goggles, apply the insecticide to cracks, crevices, openings, vents and eaves according to the manufacturer’s instructions
What kind of soap kills boxelder bugs?
If you’ve got a problem with boxelder bugs in your home, try using dish soap.
In a spray bottle, mix one tablespoon of dish soap with about a cup of water. Spray this mixture on any large clusters of boxelder bugs that you encounter. The dish soap will trap the critters, and the water will drown them.
This is an effective way to control the population of boxelder bugs without having to resort to harsh chemical pesticides that can be harmful to humans and pets.
What keeps boxelder bugs away?
Spraying boxelder bugs with dish soap is a great way to get them off your property. Just be sure to follow these steps:
1. Find the congregation of boxelder bugs and mark it with a piece of tape or chalk.
2. Spray the boxelder bugs with soapy water until they disperse, using a long-handled sprayer if possible so that you don’t have to get too close to the bugs.
3. Dispose of any dead or dying bugs that you see after spraying, and then wait for a few days before trying again if necessary.
What scent do boxelder bugs hate?
If you are dealing with boxelder bugs, you may be wondering what scent they hate.
The good news is that there are a few herbs that you can grow in your home that will keep these pesky pests away. Sage, whole cloves and lavender are easy to come by and bugs hate the smell of them. Add small sachets of herbs in your home where these bugs tend to be in higher volume.
When should you spray for boxelder bugs?
The best time to spray is late summer and early fall when boxelder bugs are first clustering around the outside of buildings. This is when they’re easiest to kill, so it’s important to take advantage of that opportunity. If you wait too long, they’ll disperse into your house and then it will be much harder to get rid of them.
If you’ve already had a problem with these pests, then now is the time to start spraying again. The longer you wait after that initial infestation, the more likely it is that they’ll return next year—so make sure that doesn’t happen.
Where do boxelder bugs go at night?
Box elder bugs prefer to stay in dark, secluded places like basements, attics, and cellars. They’ll also hide behind trim boards, window casings, and siding.
Once they find a good hiding place, the box elders will likely stay put for weeks or even months at a time.
Generally speaking, box elder bugs hide around your basement, attic, crawl spaces, or cellars. It’s very unlikely you’ll find them unless you go looking for them.
List of Insecticides
Insecticides are chemicals used to kill pests. These chemicals can be natural or synthetic, and they’re usually applied to crops or animals, as well as to homes and other buildings. Insecticides are usually designed to target specific insects, but some can affect other organisms, including birds, mammals, and fish. Some insecticides are used to control diseases that spread from insects to humans.
Here is a list of popular insecticides in the market:
Spectracide Bug Stop Home Barrier 1 Gallon Ready-To-Use Indoor Plus Outdoor Insect Control
Price : $6.88
Features :
- KILLS ON CONTACT: This product kills multiple types of insects indoors and outdoors, including ants, roaches, spiders fleas and ticks. See label for full list of insects.
- FAST-ACTING: This fast-killing product kills on contact to provide economical do-it-yourself pest control, killing bugs you see and the bugs you don’t see.
- USE INDOORS AND OUTDOORS: Spectracide Bug Stop Home Barrier2 Accushot Refill is an indoor plus home barrier insect treatment. Use indoors in cracks and crevices, along baseboards, under sinks, behind stoves and refrigerators and anywhere insects may hide. Use outdoors on the surfaces of screens, doors and window frames, porches, patios, buildings or wherever insect may enter.
- CLEAR FORMULA: The non-staining, clear formula leaves no oily residue. This unscented, water-based product also leaves no lingering odor.
- MONEY-BACK GUARANTEE: Guaranteed results or your money back – see product label for details.
Additional Info :
| Item Dimensions | |
| Height | 12 Inches |
| Width | 4 Inches |
| Length | 7 Inches |
| Weight | 8.73 Pounds |
BUGGSLAYER Insecticide Concentrate 16-oz
Price : $31.95 ($2.00 / Fl Oz)
Features :
- Creates a protective barrier for your home, treat your foundation, around windows and doors, eaves and soffits and anywhere bugs can gain entry to your house.
- Water-based, odorless and non-staining
- BUGGSLAYER is a contact insecticide designed to kill Box Elder Bugs, Stink Bugs, multi-colored Asian lady beetles & over 50 other insects that come in contact with the product, either sprayed directly or on a treated area.
- Residual killing power – The microscopic crystals adhere to the bugs when they cross the treated area killing them within a few hours.
- Specifically formulated for OUTDOOR use – will not wash away and lasts for several weeks
Additional Info :
| Item Dimensions | |
| Height | 7.4 Inches |
| Width | 3.8 Inches |
| Length | 1.8 Inches |
| Weight | 0.56 Pounds |
Demon WP Insecticide 2 Envelopes Containing 4 Water-Soluble 9.5 Gram Packets Makes 4 Gallons Cypermethrin 40%
Price : $16.61 ($8.30 / Count)
Features :
- Quick knockdown and long-lasting – 90+ day residual
- Can be used inside and out
- Size: 1 Envelope contains Four 9.5 gram water soluble packets
- Yield and Mixing: One 9.5g packet mixed with 1 gallon of water covers a 2,000 to 2,500 sq.ft. home.
- Target Pest: Ants, Aphidsc, Assassin Bugs, Boxelder Bugs, California Oakworm, Centipedes, Chiggers, Chinch Bugs, Cockroaches, Crickets, Earwigs, Elm Leaf Beetlec, Firebrats, Fleas, Flies, Millipedes, Mites, Mosquitoes, Pillbugs, Silverfish, Sowbugs, Termitese, Bees, Carpenter Ants, Carpenter Bees, Fire Ants,¤Ô¤¸¤Á¤corpions, Sod Webworms, Spiders, Ticks, Wasps
Additional Info :
| Color | Envelopes Containing Four 9.5 Gram Packets |
| Item Dimensions | |
| Height | 0.25 Inches |
| Width | 3 Inches |
| Length | 6 Inches |
| Weight | 0.09 Pounds |
Ortho Home Defense Insect Killer for Indoor & Perimeter2: With Comfort Wand, Kills Ants, Cockroaches, Spiders, Fleas & Ticks, Odor Free, 1.1 gal.
Price : $14.49 ($0.10 / Fl Oz)
Features :
- Ortho Home Defense Insect Killer for Indoor & Perimeter2 with Comfort Wand kills ants, cockroaches, spiders, fleas, ticks and other listed bugs; the formula is odor free, won’t stain, and keeps listed bugs out
- KILLS BUGS INSIDE: Kills those annoying home-invading insects, including ants, cockroaches, spiders, fleas, ticks, scorpions, beetles, silverfish, centipedes and millipedes
- KEEPS BUGS OUTSIDE: Creates a bug barrier that will kill bugs you have and prevents new bugs for up to 12 months (applies to ants, roaches and spiders indoors on non-porous surfaces)
- NO STAINING OR STINK: This spray can be used indoors and out, leaves no residue, and has no odor; people and pets may re-enter treated areas after spray has dried
- WAND MAKES APPLICATION EASY: The Comfort Wand eliminates hand fatigue, and there’s no pumping required, making it easy to spray along your home’s perimeter–indoors and outside
Additional Info :
| Color | White |
| Item Dimensions | |
| Height | 4.88 Inches |
| Width | 12 Inches |
| Length | 8.95 Inches |
| Weight | 0.73 Pounds |
Syngenta 73654 Demand CS Insecticide, 8oz, Beige
Price : $38.89
Features :
- Demand cs controls more than 30 Common insects including spiders, ants, flies, wasps, fleas, ticks and bed bugs.
- Demand cs is a water-based insecticide concentrate that offers excellent indoor and outdoor pest control.
- Each 8 oz bottle makes 8 – 40 gallons (mixed at 0. 2 to 0. 8 oz/6 to 24 ml per gallon of water).
- The LOT Number printed on the bottle is not an expiration date
Additional Info :
| Color | Beige |
| Item Dimensions | |
| Height | 5.8 Inches |
| Width | 1.8 Inches |
| Length | 3.5 Inches |
| Weight | 0.625 Pounds |
Conclusively, Insecticides come in many different forms including sprays, dusts, emulsions and granules. Some insecticides are designed to be applied directly to insects while others are designed to be sprayed on the plants that they infest. Most insecticides kill insects by disrupting their nervous system or causing them to die from poisoning. In some cases, insecticides can also damage the plant on which they are applied and kill it over time; this is called phytotoxicity.