How to Get Rid of Boxelder Bugs
Pick them up by hand., Sweep them up., Use a vacuum to get rid of them., Kill the bugs.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Pick them up by hand.
This is a safe, although labor-intensive, way of removing them.
You can simply put on a pair of gloves and grab the bugs individually.
Boxelder bugs do not bite or sting, so there is no risk of injury or pain.
You do need to have quick reflexes, as these bugs can move pretty quickly.
Be sure not to squish the bugs while you pick them up.
Squished boxelder bugs can give off a noxious smell, which you don't want in your home. -
Step 2: Sweep them up.
If you don't want the close contact required of picking the bugs up by hand, you can just use a broom to sweep them up or out the door.
Be careful and sweep them up gently, as squishing them with your broom can release a bad smell.
Boxelder bugs that you remove from your house can be placed back outside if you don't want to kill them.
This method does run the risk that the same bugs will reenter your house in the future. , The easiest way to get rid of the bugs that are in your house is to use a vacuum to suck them up.
This requires you to have a vacuum out and ready to use when you see a boxelder bug.Be sure to empty out your vacuum bag or canister quickly after sucking up bugs.
You can either deposit the bag directly into the garbage (knowing that some of the bugs are still alive inside the bag) or place it in the freezer overnight to kill the bugs.
If you freeze the bugs to death, you can then take the vacuum bag out of the freezer and continue to use the same bag in your vacuum., You can kill boxelder bugs if you need to.
This can be done by spraying a mixture of soap and water directly onto the bugs.
This mixture, made of five tablespoons of laundry soap mixed into one gallon of water, only works when the soap mixture is wet and applied directly to the bugs, so it may need to be reapplied if new bugs emerge.You should not use insecticide if the boxelder bugs are in your house.
First of all, insecticides are poison and bringing poison into your house can create a health risk to you, your family, and your pets.
Secondly, killing boxelder bugs in your house, and not knowing where the dead bugs are, can attract other bugs that eat the carcasses. -
Step 3: Use a vacuum to get rid of them.
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Step 4: Kill the bugs.
Detailed Guide
This is a safe, although labor-intensive, way of removing them.
You can simply put on a pair of gloves and grab the bugs individually.
Boxelder bugs do not bite or sting, so there is no risk of injury or pain.
You do need to have quick reflexes, as these bugs can move pretty quickly.
Be sure not to squish the bugs while you pick them up.
Squished boxelder bugs can give off a noxious smell, which you don't want in your home.
If you don't want the close contact required of picking the bugs up by hand, you can just use a broom to sweep them up or out the door.
Be careful and sweep them up gently, as squishing them with your broom can release a bad smell.
Boxelder bugs that you remove from your house can be placed back outside if you don't want to kill them.
This method does run the risk that the same bugs will reenter your house in the future. , The easiest way to get rid of the bugs that are in your house is to use a vacuum to suck them up.
This requires you to have a vacuum out and ready to use when you see a boxelder bug.Be sure to empty out your vacuum bag or canister quickly after sucking up bugs.
You can either deposit the bag directly into the garbage (knowing that some of the bugs are still alive inside the bag) or place it in the freezer overnight to kill the bugs.
If you freeze the bugs to death, you can then take the vacuum bag out of the freezer and continue to use the same bag in your vacuum., You can kill boxelder bugs if you need to.
This can be done by spraying a mixture of soap and water directly onto the bugs.
This mixture, made of five tablespoons of laundry soap mixed into one gallon of water, only works when the soap mixture is wet and applied directly to the bugs, so it may need to be reapplied if new bugs emerge.You should not use insecticide if the boxelder bugs are in your house.
First of all, insecticides are poison and bringing poison into your house can create a health risk to you, your family, and your pets.
Secondly, killing boxelder bugs in your house, and not knowing where the dead bugs are, can attract other bugs that eat the carcasses.
About the Author
Joseph Diaz
Writer and educator with a focus on practical hobbies knowledge.
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