The Maple bug or Boxelder bug Boisea trivittata (syn. Leptocoris trivittatus) is an insect found primarily on maple and ash trees. The adults are about 12.5 mm long with a dark brown or black coloration, relieved by red wing veins and markings on the abdomen. Nymphs and immature bugs are bright red.

These insects feed on the softer plant tissues, including leaves, flowers, and new twigs. Unless the population is exceptionally large, the damage to plants is minimal. During years when their population soars, they can damage useful shade trees.

After summer, they can become household pests. The adult-stage insects seek wintering hibernation locations and find their way into buildings through crevices. They remain inactive inside the walls while the weather is cool. When the heating systems revive them, they begin to enter inhabited parts of the buildings. They do not bite, sting, or damage anything, but their presence is an undesirable nuisance in the opinion of many. When crushed, they give off an offensive odor; they are among many unrelated insects commonly called "stink bugs."

In the spring, the bugs leave their winter hibernation locations to lay eggs on maple or ash trees (their preference is Manitoba Maple Acer negundo).

These insects can be killed with a dilute mixture of soap and water -- 2 tablespoons per gallon -- sprayed on them directly. They can also be kept out of the home, to a degree, by putting boric acid and/or diatomacious earth in places they would gather to enter, as well as by using weather stripping and other means to seal the house better.

External links

• Box Elder Bug - large format photos and information

Hemiptera