Anonymous
if you can have them where you live.
I've been told before the box elder beetles are harmless, unless they annoy you!
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.
Anonymous
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.
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.
Hope it helps!
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.
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