Q & A

Welcome to the Planet Natural Garden Forum! Whether you’re new to gardening or have been at it for some time, here you can search existing messages for answers to your questions or post a new message for others to reply to. If this is your first visit, please read over our forum instructions carefully before posting. Enjoy!

March 25, 2017 at 8:42 am #231203

Eric Vinje
Keymaster

Hi Sara –

Yes, Safer Insecticidal Soap will work on boxelder bugs and does not persist in the environment so it should NOT be harmful to bees. Spray at night — and not during bloom — to minimize harm to pollinators. Also, diatomaceous earth can be applied to window sills and around door jams to discourage pest entry. Crack and crevice sprays — like Don’t Bug Me — will break down quickly in the environment and are also good for this use. Here’s a couple of articles that should help:

https://www.planetnatural.com/pest-problem-solver/household-pests/boxelder-bug-control/
https://www.planetnatural.com/diatomaceous-earth-bees/

Good luck!