Why Boxelder Bugs Love Berthoud’s South-Facing Rural Homes

If you have seen groups of red-and-black bugs congregating on the sunny sides of the walls of your home this autumn, you are not alone. All Berthoud homeowners, especially those facing south, battle boxelder bug infestations season after season. These insects are not just a pesky irritant; they blemish siding, creep through the tiniest gaps, and can populate your interior in the hundreds when the mercury drops. 

Berthoud is rural; it has many boxelder trees, and the homes there were built to capture the southern Colorado sun. So, apparently, all that is the perfect storm for them. Boxelder bugs do not bite or damage homes, yet their numbers are enough to drive any homeowner out of their home. And if you are already getting a lot of action around your property, then give a pest controller a call to get rid of pests in Berthoud.

Berthoud’s South-Facing Rural Homes – What Makes Them a Pest Magnet?

• The South-Facing Sun Trap

In Berthoud, south-facing walls receive the most sun throughout the day, creating warm surfaces that attract boxelder bugs in the fall. As these insects are cold-blooded, they seek warmth when the temperature falls, which makes the sunny side walls of your home their favourite gathering place before winter.

• Rural Landscape Rich in Host Trees

The rural properties in Berthoud have well-established boxelder, maple, and ash trees (food for the bugs). Since 24% of Berthoud residents live in unincorporated rural areas, which translates to about 2,500 households, homes are not far from natural habitat.

• Limited Natural Barriers

Outside Berthoud, closer to Highway 287, with its denser housing that can break the cycle of pests, rural properties are different. Open land between houses allows boxelder bugs to roam freely between properties.

• Older Home Construction

Many of Berthoud’s rural homes were built before pest-prevention standards existed. Insects looking to hibernate over winter find easy entry through seam separations in siding, frayed weatherstripping, and uncorked utility entry points.

• Agricultural Influence

The agricultural roots of Berthoud include many properties with outbuildings, wood piles, and equipment storage, all of which serve as additional holding places that keep boxelder bug populations high near your living quarters.

How Ignoring Them Can Worsen The Situation

What begins as a few dozen boxelder bugs on your south wall quickly turns into hundreds inside your home. These critters do not mate in your house; they leave stains on draperies, walls, and carpets as they are smashed. Their poop adds more spotting, which would be hard to clean from fabric surfaces. 

What is even more alarming is that they attract additional pests, such as spiders that enter with boxelder bugs, which they consider a food source. Once you and boxelder bugs have mutually established your home as a dependable winter shelter, they will return in greater numbers every autumn, using the same entry points year after year. The longer you delay dealing with it, the more bugs will hibernate in your walls, emerging on warm winter days and again in the spring.

Homeowners Can Take These 5 Steps Immediately to Protect Their Home From Boxelder Bugs

• Seal Entry Points Around Windows and Doors – Inspect weatherstripping and caulk small gaps where bugs are getting in. Target those south-facing windows first, as you are likely to spend the most time near them.
• Vacuum Existing Clusters – Pull bugs out of exterior walls with a shop vacuum before they take up residence inside. The vacuum should be emptied right after to prevent it from smelling.
• Remove Debris Near Your Foundation – Remove all debris, firewood piles, and vegetation within three feet of the perimeter of your house to eliminate hiding places.
• Repair Window Screens – Boxelder bugs can wiggle through even minor rips. Before fall temperatures arrive, replace or patch any damaged screens.
• Reduce Outdoor Lighting – Replace any bright white incandescent or fluorescent bulbs with yellow or sodium vapor bulbs near entryways, as bright white lights attract boxelder bugs in the evening.

Do You Need to Speak to a Pest Control Expert?

Once boxelder bugs have compromised your home security, DIY is usually out of the question. Saela Pest Control has been serving Berthoud homeowners by controlling seasonal pest pressures specific to Northern Colorado’s land and weather. They know how boxelder bug behavior varies with Berthoud topography and weather, and they treat south-facing exposures and other susceptible areas.