Illinois Is Crawling With Boxelder Bugs, Here’s How to Stop Them

Fall is almost upon us in Illinois, and one of the season's biggest pests are already showing up by the hundreds to join the celebration. We need to be proactive and get rid of them now, before they become a winter, spring, and summer problem too.

Illinois' Biggest Fall Pests

Fall is a glorious time to live in Illinois. Between the beautiful color-changing leaves, and the plethora of apple orchards and pumpkin farms to visit, there is a ton of fun to be had during fall in Illinois, BUT there is a downside too: Boxelder bugs.

Boxelder bugs may not bite or sting us like our other fall visitors, the German Yellowjackets do, but having them crawling all over our walls and counters is disgusting.

This is what it looks like outside of our radio station right now:

If you're thinking, wait, I thought we were talking about boxelder bugs, not tiny red bugs? Well, my friends, those tiny red bugs are young boxelders and the time is now to get rid of them!

How To Get Rid of Boxelder Bugs

Trust me when I tell you this: if you don't take precautions now, boxelders will live in your house all winter long.

The reason you see boxelder bugs congregated on sunny walls and windows is because their sole mission each fall is to find warmth, and your house provides that very nicely.

Pesticides will get rid of boxelder bugs, but they're messy and pest control specialists say using them should be a last resort.

Here are some natural ways you can try first:

• Prevent them from getting into your home by inspecting all doors and windows, and fill all gaps and cracks.
• Boxelder bugs hate the smell of citrus, lavender, sage, and cloves, so planting some of those things around your home isn't a bad idea. If you don't want to plant, wiping down your window and door frames with those types of oils should help as well.
• Vacuum them up! Just like stink bugs, boxelders smell nasty if you squish them, so just suck them up with your vacuum and get rid of the bag immediately.