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Garden Supply | Organic Fertilizer | Composting | Indoor Gardening › Forums › Pests, Weeds & Disease › box elder beetles in flowers

  • box elder beetles in flowers

    Created by dawnslight on March 18, 2011 at 10:21 am

    My flower gardens have been taken over by the boxelder bugs. But I have three dogs and I need a pet-safe product that will not hurt them and at the same time get rid of the beetles which are on everything.

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  • January 12, 2011 at 4:34 pm #14022

    Anonymous
    Inactive

    if you can have them where you live.

    I've been told before the box elder beetles are harmless, unless they annoy you!

    January 12, 2011 at 11:28 pm #14025

    dawnslight
    Member

    Thankyou Smity but I live in the city and we can not have chickens.
    Yes they do annoy me like you would not beleive. They cover not only my flowers but all my stone walls, yard lights which light my gardens and water gardens. They are everywere in summer and fall.

    March 18, 2011 at 10:21 am #14029

    Anonymous
    Inactive

    how do i get rid of the thousands of box elder bugs devouring my milkweed without harming or detering the monarch caterpillars or butterflies i planted the milkweed FOR.

    June 26, 2016 at 4:13 pm #202666

    E. Vinje
    Keymaster

    Hello –

    Most boxelder damage is minor and won’t require treatment unless their number get out of control. Here are some things that you can do to get rid of them.

    • Eliminate wood piles, garden debris, and other places boxelder bugs will over winter.
    • Nearby trees can be sprayed with horticultural oil early as boxelder bugs begin to emerge.
    • Swarms around your home can be treated with insecticidal soap — repeat applications may be necessary.
    • Consider using a shop-vac to vacuum up large numbers.

    Here’s a link to our control page.

    Boxelder Bugs

    Hope it helps!

    July 13, 2018 at 6:36 am #283315

    swshirley4@yahoo.com
    Member

    If these bugs are on milkweed, they could also be the milkweed bug which is also black and orange. Their young, nymphs, look like very large orange aphids. The safe way to get rid of them or at least control them is to tap them into a jar of undiluted dish soap whenever you see them. They do a lot of damage especially to the milkweed pod.

    September 17, 2018 at 1:48 am #290399

    AlbertOtten
    Member

    Thanks for sharing.

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