I live outside Philly in the Valley Forge area. I own a home that backs up to woods and I’m having a Box Elder Bug problem. The issue is outside. With this winter being so warm, the ones on my house from fall aren’t dead. They’re sitting in clusters on my siding, around windows and every day some are getting inside. Some clusters have 50 or more bugs in them!
Due to the mild winter we’re seeing across the United States, many pests that seek harborage on homes in the fall have been able to sustain themselves outside. Usually the colder air of winter will cause them to shut down completely and either go to state of hibernation or die. But if you didn’t treat last fall, there is a good chance you’ll still have outside activity which is definitely not normal for this time of year.
If you read through our BOXELDER BUG CONTROL article, you’ll see a product listed as CYPERMETHRIN. Get some of this and spray the outside sides of the home where they’re congregating. Boxelders will nest in groups, much like roach clusters, and in these communities they’ll start mating and reproducing if they live through winter. These sites can become active nests if left untreated.
Inside the home you’ll need to treat living spaces with activity using PHANTOM AEROSOL. It’s odorless and long lasting so as the boxelders forage inside, they’ll pick up a lethal dose of active and die. Remember, the long term goal here is to keep them from living on or in the home. That means you’ll need to start treating now before they get well established in the wall voids and other hard to treat areas of the home.
Here are direct links to the information and products listed above:
Boxelder Bug Control: https://bugspray.com/articles98/boxelder
Cypermethrin: https://bugspray.com/catalog/insecticide/liquid/viper-cypermethrin
Phantom Aerosol: https://bugspray.com/catalog/insecticide/aerosol/pt-phantom-14-oz
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