This is the time of year when outdoor boxelder bugs look for a place indoors where they can stay safe for the winter. Boxelder bugs are a common part of the landscape, most often found on properties with boxelder trees. As a homeowner, the best way you can prevent boxelder bugs from gaining entrance to your property is to seal off the exterior of your home and eliminate the populations of boxelder bugs around the outside of your house.

Seal Cracks

Walk around the exterior of your home and look for cracks in the mortar or stucco, if your home is made of these materials. Use silicone caulk to seal the cracks. If your home is made of vinyl siding, there will be openings all over in the siding, because this type of material is designed that way. Fortunately, homes with vinyl siding often have weather-tight shells beneath the siding, which prevents boxelder bugs from gaining access to the interior of the house.

Fix All Screens

Holes in the screens on your doors and windows are the perfect entry place for boxelder bugs. Fix the screens on all doors and windows, either by patching them or replacing them. Remember, your home has screens in more locations than just at the doors and windows. Walk around your home and examine all vents leading to the inside of your house. You'll see vents with screens in the attic and on the side of the house near large appliances like your furnace and dryer. Patch or replace screens in all of these locations to prevent boxelders from entering.

Search and Destroy

When boxelder bugs are populous and the temperatures are getting cold, you'll notice them gathering on the sunny side of your home near windows and doors. At times like this, you can help control their population by doing two things to get rid of them in large numbers.

1. Vacuum the bugs. Use a shop vacuum to suck up the groups of boxelder bugs you see around the windowsills and doorstep. This is the same way that you'll use to kill the boxelder bugs if they manage to gain access to your house.
2. Soap the bugs. Mix laundry detergent and water together in bucket, then use a spray to kill the bugs that you see around the perimeter of your home. However, watch out, because soap can kill your landscaping.

If the perimeter of your house is lined by shrubs and flowers, contact a pest control company such as Ace Walco & Sons Termite & Pest Control to kill the populations of boxelder bugs around the outside of your house. This is one of the best ways to prevent the bugs from gaining access to your home.