Box Elder Bug Control

WE WILL RID YOUR PROPERTY OF THESE AGGRAVATING PESTS

If you live near a box elder or an elm seed tree, you are almost certain to have box elder bugs or elm seed bugs in or around your home.

They can’t cause structural damage or threaten your plants, but they rapidly reproduce and are a serious nuisance, invading your home by the thousands. Utah’s dry desert climate is their ideal habitat.

Box elder bugs invade homes in the fall looking for warmth, looking for dry sheltered areas such as building foundations, windows, leaf, litter and wood piles. The bugs hibernate in the winter, so you may not see them but they still are there. They leave in the spring to lay small,  red eggs and feed.

They gather on sunlit surfaces for warmth, especially the south side of buildings, sidewalks and fences, tree trunks and rock faces. You can help protect your home from infestation by repairing damaged window and door screens; replacing screens on attic and roof vents, and soffits; covering ventilation fan outlets, sealing holes around utility lines, plumbing and conduits; and sealing or applying expanding foam to large spaces that can provide access.

Elm seed bugs are a relatively new invasive species that peaks in summer.  They overwinter in buildings in large numbers and leave unsightly fecal spots behind. They are not a health threat.

If either of these bugs get in your home, don’t squash them because they exude a foul odor and can leave a stain that is difficult to remove.  Instead, call us right away so we can assess the problem and treat your home for it.