Is it Box-Elder, Boxelder, or Box Elder?
No one knows, nor does anyone seem to care. They just want those pesky bugs away from their house.
This weekend, while out doing the ceremonial first grass cutting of the season, I noticed a healthy amount of black and orange bugs scurrying around my back porch and along the exterior wall that faces the sun.
I recognized them to be the infamous Box-Elder bug and was curious as to whether I should be concerned about their great numbers and proximity to my home.
Research Time
I went down the rabbit hole of Box-Elders and learned as much as I could so that I could share the information with you, the reader. Where do they come from? What do they eat? How do I get rid of them? Do I need to get rid of them?
The best way I found to answer all of those questions was to look back through History and find out how our ancestors handled the situation.
First time in print
The first real mention of ‘Box Elder Bugs’ in print form comes to us from a front page news story in the March 9th, 1889 edition of the Kansas newspaper, The Industrialist. From this article we learn that the bug was named after the tree that they most love to snack upon, the Box Elder. If one of those isn’t around, they will make do with Ash trees. They multiply quickly and hide themselves inside of trees or in your walls during the winter months.
To rid yourselves of these pests, The Industrialist recommends scalding water and/or kerosene.
An Ode to the Box-Elder
In 1891, an anonymous author penned a fine poem dedicated to the Boisea trivittata (Latin name for Box Elder bug). It reads in part:
“Those pestiferous box elder tree bugs, that dash in your face like so many slugs, I wish they were dead, the mean little things, or at least had to navigate minus ther wings.”
Mid 20th Century Mayhem
By the 1930’s, folks were beginning to notice the little bugs more frequently. There were areas in the Midwest that considered a ban on seed-bearing female Box Elder trees. Female trees? What? Dioecious trees like the Box Elder and White Ash separate male and female parts on completely different trees where one tree is strictly female and one strictly male.
Kerosene and Nicotine were the go to repellents at the time and reports of large-scale invasions were hitting the media.
Barefoot and Pregnant and Scared
Tell your wife to relax, the late 1940’s brought along garden sprays like ‘Isotox’. The powerful anti-Box-Elder bug spray Contained:
Lindane – Exposure to lindane may occur from eating contaminated food or by breathing air contaminated during formulation or use. Lindane is quite toxic to humans. In 2002, California banned pharmaceutical use of lindane because of concerns about water quality, as lindane treatment for head lice and scabies was found to be a significant factor adversely affecting wastewater quality.
Malathian – Considered to be highly toxic to insects, fish and crustaceans. International health officials have said the chemical is probably carcinogenic to humans. People who were exposed to enough malathion to become sick felt nauseated or vomited, had muscle tremors, cramps, weakness, shortness of breath, a slowed heart rate, headache, abdominal pain and diarrhea. It’s also dangerous for pets.
DDD – Dichlorodiphenyldichloroethane is an organochlorine insecticide that is slightly irritating to the skin. DDD is no longer registered for agricultural use in the United States, but the general population continues to be exposed to it due to its long persistence time. The primary source of exposure is oral ingestion of food.
Box-Elders for State Bug
48 states in the United States have officially designated State Insects. The only two that don’t are Iowa and Michigan. Here in Michigan, back in 1985, Grace Lake believed that the Box-Elder bug should be our state bug because they are pretty and a nuisance.
We Can’t Take It Anymore!
In Conclusion
Are Box-Elder bugs dangerous? No. They are not poisonous and do not harm people, plants, or structures. If you happen to have a severe infestation, it is possible that their droppings and residue may stain light colored surfaces. If you threaten or kill a Box Elder, they may produce a foul smell, which is meant to deter predators.
They are much more of a nuisance than a danger. Despite potentially living within your walls, they will not cause structural damage and do not get into food.
Nowadays it seems that things like soapy water or vinegar are the go to for removal but if you’re feeling nostalgic try nicotine or kerosene mixed with water.
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