7/1/2013 - By Matthew Shultz

I have been getting a lot of calls, especially from the south, about Box Elder Bug. Most might not be familiar with this bug but once you see it you won’t forget, so here’s a picture. 

Box Elder Bug – photo courtesy of Matthew Shultz

This is probably due to the fact that like Stink bugs and lady beetles, these insects try to find cracks and crevices to overwinter in, many times finding their way indoors. Unless you are growing box elder this pest probably isn’t going to be an issue, although I have seen it feeding on maple trees in the mid-Atlantic. It’s preferred host is the seed-producing female box elder tree. If you are one of the few still producing box elder, then products like acephate and carbaryl should provide a good knockdown to infested crops.