Boxelder Bug

Natural Habitat

Typically found outdoors on boxelder, maple, and ash trees; often migrates indoors into wall voids or attics to seek warmth during autumn.

Diet & Feeding

Mainly feeds on the seeds of boxelder trees, but also consumes juices from maple and ash trees; they are liquid feeders using piercing-sucking mouthparts.

Behavior Patterns

They are gregarious, often clustering in large numbers on sunny, south-facing surfaces. They undergo incomplete metamorphosis (egg, nymph, adult) and enter a state of diapause during winter.

Risks & Benefits

They are considered a nuisance pest rather than a danger; they do not sting or transmit diseases. They may occasionally stain light-colored surfaces with their excrement or produce a foul odor if crushed.

Identified on: 12/26/2025