How to Stop Boxelder Bugs and Elm Seed Bugs From Swarming Your Utah Home
You walk out onto your back patio on a sunny July afternoon. As you look at your house, you wonder when you repainted your lovely home black. Then you remember you didn’t repaint your house; it is instead a swarm of boxelder bugs latching onto the side of your house, sunbathing.
As the summer sun bakes the exterior stucco, brick, and vinyl siding across Utah, Boxelder bugs and Elm seed bugs gather in massive, unsightly swarms.
If you have already tried blasting them with a garden hose only to watch them fly right back, don’t worry. Reclaiming your sunny walls starts with understanding exactly why these pests love your property and why smashing them is the absolute worst thing you can do.
The Science (Why They Love July)
Boxelder bugs are drawn to certain trees for the trees’ developing seeds. Their mouths are adapted to split seeds and suck the juices out. Meaning that these trees are a perfect home for boxelder bugs to feed off of and reproduce on as well. Most commonly found on boxelder trees around Utah.
Fun Fact: The boxelder tree is so deeply rooted in Western history that Utah literally named its fourth-largest county after it. Established in 1856, Box Elder County got its name because the region’s waterways were absolutely teeming with these fast-growing native maples.
Boxelder bugs are cold-blooded, meaning their body temperatures depend solely on external heat sources. That is why you tend to see them all hugging on one side of your house, usually the south or west sides, or wherever the most intense sunlight is.
The Secret Danger of Smashed Bugs
If you find a boxelder bug inside your house, do not smash it! When crushed, these bugs release a pungent, foul-smelling aggregation pheromone. To us, it just smells bad. To other boxelder bugs, it sounds like an alarm bell. Crushing one bug can actually attract dozens of its friends to the same spot. Plus, their bright red guts contain a strong dye that will permanently stain your carpets, curtains, and walls.
4 DIY Prevention Tips
- The Dish Soap Trick: A simple mixture of dish soap and water sprayed directly onto the outdoor swarms breaks down their waxy outer shells and knocks them down safely without stains.
- Check Window Screens: Inspect and patch even the smallest tears in patio door and window screens.
- Seal Exterior Gaps: Use silicone caulk around exterior window trim and door frames where they try to slip inside to escape the midday heat.
- Lawn Cleanup: Clear away fallen seed pods from local Elm and Boxelder trees close to the foundation.
When to Call TNT Pest Control
While soapy water handles the bugs you can see, it has zero residual effect. New swarms will arrive the very next day. A professional power spray treatment coats the exterior siding with a safe, long-lasting barrier that keeps them from swarming the home all summer long.
Tired of looking at swarming bugs on your windows? Call TNT Pest Control today at 801-982-7378 or email us here to schedule a professional exterior treatment!