Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show/podcast: Quit bugging me! Boxelders and Asian lady beetles
The swarming of Boxelder bugs on our homes and garages means they’re still looking for a cozy place to spend the winter.
Annoying, most definitely. Harmful, nope. Then again, who wants to walk into a swarm of bugs?
While some bugs bury themselves in leaf debris, which is much more preferable than our homes, these two annoyances seek out any opportunity to come indoors.
You can bet there are plenty of little bugs hanging out for the winter in that leaf debris you see in my rain garden. There’s about to be a lot more when the neighbors oak tree (which you can’t see) drops it’s leaves!
And, more recently, the brown marmorated stink bug too. These guys really are icky.
They’re looking for small openings in your screens, little cracks in around windows and doors and any other possible option that allows them to squeeze indoors. My 1897 home has plenty of those!
- Repair those screens
- Seal up any cracks around windows
- Install tight fitting door sweeps or thresholds at the base of all exterior entry doors. Gaps of 1/16 or LESS allow insects entry.
- If they’re really bugging you, place sealer around pipes, wires and vents.
- Check your soffits and fascia too.
- Shop vacs will suck them up easily, soapy water works too.
Pesticides are not recommended inside your home, it’s not worth it. These bugs aren’t hurting you, they’re just not very welcome and those stinkbugs can emit a nasty odor if squished or upset. I have not had an issue with that but I HAVE had them in my home. I generally don’t get too shook about it unless they crawl on ME!
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