Have you noticed the groups of black and red bugs on your windows and those of your neighbours lately? Yes, they are also in some other people’s homes, and, in general, all St. Louis residents are unwitting hosts of the same unpleasant event. Boxelder bugs seem to appear out of nowhere, moving over the siding, gathering on window frames, and squeezing into every single small crack. This is no random occurrence; it coincides with our fall weather patterns in Missouri, as well as the mature boxelder trees in many metro St. Louis areas.
While these bugs are not dangerous to humans, they certainly are a nuisance and difficult to get rid of once they make themselves at home in our houses. If it is too much for you to handle, a pest control professional from pointepestcontrol.com should be able to take care of the problem efficiently.
What Do Boxelder Bugs Look Like and How Can They Be Identified?
Once you know what you are looking for, boxelder bugs are easy to find. These bugs have distinctive markings that set them apart from other fall pests you might discover at your St. Louis home.
Key identifying features include:
- Size and shape: Boxelder bugs are about half an inch long with an elongated, somewhat flattened oval body
- Color pattern: Dark gray or black bodies, bright red or orange markings along the edges and on their backs.
- Wings: An insect with two overlapping wings that, when at rest, form a V-shaped style; distinctly red veins.
- Behavior: They usually gather in large numbers, especially on sun-warmed surfaces such as south- and west-facing walls.
Why They Are Gathering on Your Windows Right Now
The St. Louis boxelder bug invasion is not merely a coincidence; it is driven by temperature and biology. When nighttime lows across the metro area tumble to the 40s and 50s throughout October and November, these bugs naturally seek warmth to spend the winter. The sunny outside walls and windows of your house become such beacons, absorbing heat during the day and luring in hundreds of bugs that come to look for a place to hide.
In St. Louis, older neighborhoods that contain mature boxelder, maple, and ash trees tend to have the heaviest infestations. The Missouri Department of Conservation has reported that boxelder bugs feed on the seeds of these trees and become extremely populous during spring and summer, when they congregate in people’s yards and on their trees. The bugs stream toward buildings when the seed sources begin to dry up in the fall.
The Real Problem: Indoor Invasions in Late Fall
The real problem begins when boxelder bugs enter your St. Louis house for the winter. They somehow manage to squeeze through minuscule openings surrounding window frames, around door sweeps, beside utility penetrations, and between cracks in the foundation. If they gain access to walls or attics during September or October, these bugs hibernate. But whenever there are warm-ish days, and St. Louis does have those even in deep winter, the bugs wake up confused.
Why You Should Always Seek Professional Help
Although you may think the process of eliminating boxelder bugs is as simple as killing them, there is a significant difference between killing visible bugs and treating the underlying problem. Unfortunately, fall invasions may mean that hundreds or thousands of bugs are already nestled in your wall voids and attic space, and commercially bought sprays cannot reach or treat them.
Professional pest control companies like Pointe Pest Control know the patterns these bugs follow in St. Louis homes, where to look, what treatments work for our local climate, and exclusion work that stops future invasions. The St. Louis Metropolitan Sewer District states that our region’s old housing stock, which is on average 60 years old or older in many neighborhoods, provides more entry points and places for pests to hide.