Boxelder Bug, Stink Bug and Conifer Seed Bug Control
Boxelder bugs are the black bugs with red stripes that cover the sunny side of the house every September and show up inside in March. Brown marmorated stink bugs do the same thing and smell when you crush them. And the long brown bug with the flat, leaf-shaped back legs that buzzes clumsily around the lamp in October and smells like pine when you grab it? That is the western conifer seed bug, and around here almost everyone calls it a stink bug too. None of them bite, breed indoors or damage the house; they are simply looking for a warm place to spend the winter, and your south and west walls are it.
Or call 208-889-9222. Monday to Friday 9 to 5, emergency call-outs available.
Why these bugs are a problem here
Boxelder and maple trees nearby for the boxelder bugs, pines and firs for the conifer seed bugs (they feed on the cones all summer), warm fall sun on siding, and gaps around windows, vents and soffits. Once they get into the wall void they come out into the house all winter whenever the sun warms the wall.
How we treat them
Timing is everything. We treat the sunny walls, window frames, soffits and entry points in late August and September before they move in, and again in spring where needed. We target them on the fall visit; this stop on a Quarterly plan is timed for exactly this.
What you can do
- Seal gaps around windows, vents, siding and the foundation in late summer.
- Repair screens and door sweeps.
- Vacuum the ones inside; do not crush stink bugs or conifer seed bugs unless you like the smell.
- Consider removing a female boxelder tree if one is right next to the house.
- Call before September; after they are in the walls, treatment is harder.
Plans and prices
Boxelder bugs, stink bugs and conifer seed bugs are targeted on the fall visit. Most homes do best on the Quarterly plan, four visits a year at $150 each (about $50 a month); Tri-Annual, Bi-Monthly (essential oils) and Monthly plans are on the Pricing page. No sign-up fee. Not sure? Try us once at the Quarterly price. The Property Shield Promise: if a covered pest comes back between visits, so do we — NO charge.
Questions we hear about these bugs
Is the big brown one a stink bug?
Probably a western conifer seed bug: about three-quarters of an inch, brown, with a flat leaf-shaped flare on the back legs, and it buzzes loudly when it flies. It is harmless, it does smell (piney, not rotten), and we treat it the same way.
Do they damage anything?
No. They can stain curtains and walls, and stink bugs smell, but they do not bite or breed indoors.
Why are they only on one side of the house?
They want the warmest wall: south and west, with the afternoon sun.
Will one treatment fix it?
A well-timed fall treatment makes a huge difference. Regular plans keep it that way year after year.
Ready to be done with them?
Or call 208-889-9222. Serving Spokane, Spokane Valley, Coeur d’Alene, Post Falls, Hayden, Rathdrum, Sandpoint and the Silver Valley.