Box elder bugs out in full force - WREX.com – Rockford’s News Leader

Box elder bugs out in full force

Fall is usually seen as a time of changing leaves and bonfires, but it's also a time when certain black and orange bugs can become quite the pain.

Although box elder bugs are pretty harmless, they enjoy migrating in large groups into structures, which can make them a nuisance. The bugs come from maple, box elder, and ash trees, and this year's hot and dry summer has caused an increase in population.

Wil-Kil Pest Control Regional Manager Jim Gilbert says people should take measures to keep them out of the house.

"They tend to be a stink bug, so once they get inside there can be smells and odors to them, but they don't do any physical damage to the home."

Wil-Kil offers a treatment for outside the home, but Gilbert says that sealing up any cracks in your home is the best prevention to keep bugs and other pests, like mice, out.