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HemipteraRhopalidae

Boxelder BugIdentification, facts & practical guidance

Boxelder bugs are Boisea species that often gather on warm building surfaces and seek shelter as weather cools.

Compiled by the InsectLibrary Team · Updated · Editorial policy

Identification and lookalikes

Boisea trivittata
Boisea trivittata - Boxelder Bug(c) lult, some rights reserved (CC BY). https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Source: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/404294400
Boisea rubrolineata
Boisea rubrolineata - Western Boxelder BugContributed by Lynette Elliott; Additional contributions by Hannah Nendick-Mason , Beatriz Moisset , Robin McLeod , Mike Quinn , David Ferguson , v belov

Adults are dark with narrow reddish markings; young nymphs have much more red. Compare the pattern behind the head and on the wings with milkweed bugs and other red-and-black true bugs.

Why they enter homes

They are seasonal shelter-seekers and do not establish breeding populations indoors. Boxelder trees and other host plants can support nearby populations, but removing one tree does not necessarily stop arrivals.

What to do next

Seal entry gaps and repair screens before seasonal movement begins. Vacuum indoor bugs rather than crushing them, which can cause odor or staining. Repeated indoor spraying does not fix the entry points.

Boxelder Bug: species profiles

Explore 2 species profiles covered by this guide, with recorded names and available photos.

Boxelder Bug

Boxelder Bug

Boisea trivittata

(c) lult, some rights reserved (CC BY)
Western Boxelder Bug

Western Boxelder Bug

Boisea rubrolineata

Sources and further reading

  • ipm.ucanr.edu - boxelder bughttps://ipm.ucanr.edu/home-and-landscape/boxelder-bug/

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