How to Treat Boxelder Bugs
The first thing you should know about boxelder bugs is that they are coming in from the outside. Therefore, you cannot end the infestation until you prevent them from coming in. This means you need to treat the outside of your home. I have a video on how to do that, and I place a link below. Please note that, in the video, I recommend a dilution rate in the sprayer of 1 to 14, but you would be better served to use a dilution rate of 1 to 10. Put 2 ounces of Bifen XTS in the sprayer and add 20 ounces of water. You can also do this treatment with a tank sprayer, but it takes a lot longer. If you are using a tank sprayer, you can use Bifen IT and mix it at one ounce per gallon of water.
Now that you have treated the outside of your house, you need to go after the box elder bugs that took up residence inside your house. To do this you'll need to use Shockwave 1 Flushing Killing and Residual Aerosol. I will place a link below for the product. Simply apply this product into cracks and crevices where boxelder bugs are hiding. They like to spend the winter near heat sources and in enclosed spaces. Good places to look for them would be behind and under appliances; inside base cabinets, particularly in pipe penetrations; in the attic; and in the basement. Essentially, you need to look for them any place where they can cluster together without being observed. Obviously, you need to look any place where you see activity. Shockwave is an instant kill product that also offers a long-lasting residual and an insect growth regulator. It will protect you for up to 3 months.
After treating cracks and crevices with Shockwave, you should apply D-Fense dust under appliances, under baseboards, inside pipe penetrations, and you need to treat outlets with it as well. To treat the outlets, remove the outlet cover and lightly dust the bottom of the outlet box. You should also insert the duster tube between the outlet box and the drywall and apply dust into the wall void. You can use any handheld duster you like, but I found a really good one that I like the best. I will give you a link to it.
If you keep up with the exterior treatment every 90 days, this will prevent the boxelder bugs from reentering your home. If you live in a cold climate, then you can perform this treatment every spring, as soon as the weather warms up. Treat again in about 90 days around the beginning of summer. Treat 90 days later around the beginning of fall. Make a final treatment for the year just before the freezing weather sets in. For warm climates, just remember to treat every 90 days.
It is also helpful to seal up any cracks or crevices around the outside of your home.
Video on how to treat the outside of your home: https://youtu.be/Yozv3s-Qwlw
Shockwave 1 Flushing Killing and Residual Aerosol: Shockwave 1 Flushing Killing and Residual Aerosol
D-Fense dust: D-Fense Deltamethrin Dust
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Bifen XTS (For hose-end sprayer): Bifen XTS 25.1% Bifenthrin Insecticide | Termite Control Products | Free Shipping
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Bifen IT (For tank sprayer): Bifen IT | Bifenthrin 7.9% Insecticide | Fast, Free Shipping