Home Remedies for Box Elder Bugs

Soap Solution

• You can use a soap solution to kill any invading box elder bugs by adding about 4 percent dish soap to a bowl of hot water. Poor the solution into a spray bottle and spray the solution on the box elder bugs. Contact with the solution should prove fatal to the bugs, but will not harm any plants in your lawn or garden.

Use a Vacuum

• A shop vac is a simple but effective tool you can use to rid your home of box elder bugs. Connect a hose attachment to you shop vac, switch on the vac and vacuum up any box elder bugs you find indoors. Discard the dead box elder bugs in a wastebasket or outside when you are done.

Box Elder Tree Removal

• Box elder trees are the main source of food for box elder bugs. Remove the female trees, which bear the seeds the box elder bugs eat, from your property. Eliminating their main food supply should greatly reduce the box elder bug population. You can cut down the box elder trees yourself using a hand saw or chain saw. Check ahead of time to make sure the tree has a clear landing path before cutting it down to avoid any collateral damage. You can also hire a professional service to come in and remove the trees for you.

Home Protection

• You can take steps to ensure box elder bugs don't invade your home by removing debris located close to your home's perimeter. Box elder bugs like to burrow beneath leaves and logs during the winter and can easily migrate from these hiding places to your home. Placing logs or organic piles far away from your home will discourage the box elder bugs from relocating to your property. Using caulk to seal any crevices or gaps in your home's exterior, as well as weatherstripping your doors and windows, will also help keep box elder bugs from finding ways to enter your home.