Boxelder Bug

Found on and around boxelder, maple, and ash trees, as well as on warm, sunny exterior walls of buildings and indoors during cooler months.

Feeds primarily on the seeds, leaves, and developing fruit of boxelder trees, as well as maple and ash trees, using piercing-sucking mouthparts.

Forms large aggregations on warm surfaces during sunny autumn days. They seek sheltered indoor crevices to overwinter and become active indoors as temperatures rise.

They do not bite or sting humans or pets and cause minimal damage to host trees. They are primarily nuisance pests when invading homes in large numbers, occasionally leaving reddish stains from their droppings.