Problem: Box elder bugs
Problem Info
Analysis
Leptocoris species These insects are common in all parts of the country. They are most numerous in areas where box elder trees (Acer negundo) grow. In spring the female bugs lay eggs in the bark of box elders or sometimes of maples, ash, and fruit trees. The young feed on tender twigs, foliage, and seeds through the spring and summer. During the fall, especially on bright, sunny days, the bugs migrate in large numbers into tree trunks, homes, buildings, or other dry, protected locations to hibernate for the winter. These bugs do not feed on fabric or furniture, but they may stain household items with their excrement. Box elder bugs occasionally bite, and they may feed on houseplants.
Solution Advice
Keep the doors and windows screened and the cracks around them well sealed.
