Boxelder Bug Control

Boxelder Bugs In Central Texas

Boxelder bugs are easy to recognize and easy to predict, which makes keeping them out largely a matter of timing.

Boxelder bugs are a seasonal invader, which the Texas A&M AgriLife guide to boxelder bugs explains, so the work is timed around their fall move indoors.

Signs You Have Boxelder Bugs

Boxelder bugs are hard to miss when they gather:

• Clusters of black-and-red bugs on warm, sunny exterior walls in fall.
• Boxelder bugs around windows and inside on warm days.
• Re-emergence in spring, as overwintering bugs head back outside.
• Staining on siding, curtains, and surfaces from their droppings.
• Boxelder, maple, or ash trees nearby, their host plants.

Are Boxelder Bugs Dangerous?

Boxelder bugs are harmless. They do not bite, sting, or spread disease, and they do not damage the structure of a home.

The trouble they cause is nuisance and mess. They gather in large, alarming numbers on sunny walls, work their way indoors to overwinter, and their droppings can stain siding, curtains, and light-colored surfaces. Crushing them can add to the staining, so removal matters more than squashing.

How We Get Rid of Boxelder Bugs

Stride treats boxelder bugs through the five-step Stride Forward process, timed to their fall gathering:

1. Inspect. We check the sunny walls where they congregate, the entry points around windows and siding, and any host trees nearby.
2. Identify. We confirm boxelder bugs and the gaps feeding the invasion.
3. Recommend. We point out the cracks and gaps to seal and the vents to screen before fall.
4. Treat. We apply an exterior residual to the sunny walls and entry points in late summer and fall before they move in, and treat harborage.
5. Evaluate. We monitor on recurring visits, since keeping them out each fall is what prevents the clusters.

Our GreenPro certification guides this reduced-risk approach.

How to Keep Boxelder Bugs Away

Keeping boxelder bugs out comes down to sealing and timing:

• Seal cracks and gaps around windows, siding, vents, and utility lines.
• Screen vents and repair damaged window and door screens.
• Treat the exterior before fall, when boxelder bugs start massing on sunny walls.
• Vacuum any indoors rather than crushing them, to avoid staining.
• Consider the host trees, since nearby boxelder and maple trees feed the population.

Boxelder Bug Control Frequently Asked Questions

Stride Forward is our Integrated Pest Management program where we partner with our clients in the long-term removal and prevention of pests. Keeping your property free of unwanted insects and rodents works best when we work together.

The program combines habitat manipulation, biological control, cultural behavior changes, and the targeted use of products designed to repel or eradicate pests. Our approach follows five steps, with non-chemical methods prioritized before any product application.

Our Certifications & Awards

Stride Pest Control holds QualityPro and GreenPro certifications through the NPMA’s Foundation for Professional Pest Management, and fewer than 3% of pest control companies nationwide hold both. QualityPro requires background checks on every service member, a drug-free workplace, and 16 standards that exceed state and federal requirements.

Our Austin and Round Rock office operates under Texas Department of Agriculture license TPCL #667951, with Burton Johnston as Responsible Certified Applicator. Our San Antonio office operates under TPCL #827449, with Alex Randall as Responsible Certified Applicator. Our office manager, Michael Honeycutt, is an Associate Certified Entomologist through the Entomological Society of America.

Founded in 2013, we have served nearly 12,000 customers across Central Texas and hold a 4.9-star rating across 2,400+ reviews with an A+ from the BBB.