Don’t Know How to Get Rid of Box Elder Bugs? Try These Top 7 Solutions For Immediate Results!

As the weather keeps getting colder and colder, every living thing starts to seek refuge and a warm and cosy place. This fact doesn’t exclude those sneaky little black and red box elder bugs that just looove to crawl around your home or garden like they own the place. They ain’t paying us any rent! Well, I am not going to sit around and let these tiny rascals do as they please, and neither should you! Discover the top solutions to how to get rid of box elder bugs!

How to get rid of box elder bugs

Recently, my parents bought their dream house in the country. It’s got everything they wanted! A guest house, fountains, a huge garden… and it has something they never wanted-an abundance of bugs! And not just any bugs, but box elder ones! My mother ordered whatever product she could find to get rid of the pests. They would just disappear for a short while and then return again. Nothing seemed to be working. My mother was starting to lose hope. But since I am from a generation that’s used to just looking up just about anything on the internet, I searched for some potential remedies. I found some and insisted on my mother trying them, and guess what? They worked! My parents took care of their box elder bug problem with ease. Now if only I could find a way to get rid of the spiders in the house, that would be great! Anyway, here are the secrets to never having box elder bugs again!

1.  Don’t bother with using pesticides

Experts say that with time, the box elder bugs have developed a sort of immunity against standard pesticide formulas. No need to spend your time and money on popular remedies that won’t give you any results.  These chemicals can also be harmful to yourself, your family and to insects that we need to protect like bees! Focus on a more natural remedy like the one advised below.

2. Spray dish soap on box elder bugs to repel them

When you have an issue with these bugs outdoors, that usually means you also have it indoors. The fewer bugs in your garden, the better! Create a mix of water and dish soap and pour it into a spray bottle. When you see any box elder bugs lying around, just spray them with the mix. Even if it doesn’t kill them, it will surely repel them. If there are any dead, you can dispose of them by using a broom and shovel.

3. Make sure your doors and windows are covered

Okay, so we sprayed those little suckers outside, but it looks like some managed to get in, how? There could be cracks on your doors or windows, so make sure to check them out, then we can solve the issue. You have to make sure that every hole and crack is properly covered. Weather-strip your windows and doors. Cover any vent pipes or other holes you come to find.

4. Keep on eye on your electrical outlets

As these tiny creatures are attracted to heat, they sometimes tend to hide in your electrical outlets or switch boxes. If such is the case, you will need to change or seal the electrical cover plates.

5. Don’t squash the box elder bugs! Use a vacuum!

I would advise against squashing these insects, as they will give off quite an unpleasant smell. Instead of this, use a vacuum cleaner to get rid of any box elder bugs you see around your house. After you have done this, make sure to quickly clean out the dust bag. Use the dish soap mix to wash the places where there used to be bugs.

6. Use Dish Soap on heat-reflective surfaces

As these little demons love the heat, they are attracted to gathering on big hot surfaces. Hence, you are going to need to scrub them down with dish soap water. Use the spray you made on any part outside your house that attracts a lot of sunlight to make it box-elder-bug-resistant. Doing this will prevent the insects from getting inside your home.

7. Keep away from Boxelder Trees

If you have a Boxelder tree in your garden or close to your home, it might be the main source of your problem. The name is not coincidental! The trees produce seeds that attract the box elder bugs. Consider getting rid of the tree if you can. If you can’t or don’t want to, try to regularly trim it. Also, dispose of the tree seeds that fall as often as you can. Doing this will ease your box elder bug infestation.

Hopefully you put to use all of my advice, and now your home and garden are box-elder-bug-free! These little pests should be gone for good. And now we just need to figure out how to get rid of those annoying black ants. Maybe with some home remedies?