How To Get Rid Of Soapberry Bugs In South Africa

What is Soapberry Bugs?

Soapberry bugs are beautiful insects that are found in many parts of the world. Their most defining ecological characteristic is their specialized diet. They feed on the seeds of the soapberry family, which includes well known plants like boxelders, maples, soapberries (or soapnuts), jacket plums, rambutans, and litchis. These plants have evolved many ways to protect their seeds from soapberry bugs: flying seeds, seeds protected in inflated spheres, seeds with cyanide, and seeds that are held unfilled on the plant for months while the bugs slowly starve. Yet these insects work around the plants’ co-evolved defenses and use the seeds to fuel their own development and reproduction.

How To Get Rid Of Soapberry Bugs In South Africa

Method 1: Killing the Bugs

Wear appropriate safety gear before working with insecticides. You can never be too safe when you’re working with insecticides or other chemicals. Wear heavy-duty gloves, protective goggles, a dust mask, and long sleeves and pants. That way, you’ll avoid eye, skin, or respiratory inhalation due to the chemicals.

When you choose a product, read the label closely for specific safety instructions.
Even if a product isn’t harmful to humans, like diatomaceous earth, it’s best to protect yourself. The powder can irritate your lungs if you breathe in a large amount of it, and it can also be very drying to your eyes.

Use food-grade diatomaceous earth to treat large swarms of boxelder bugs. Before you use dangerous pesticides, opt for a safer treatment. Following the manufacturer’s instructions, use a hand duster or a large scoop to sprinkle diatomaceous earth around the base of your boxelder or maple trees. Then, scatter more powder around the perimeter of your home, being especially generous around doorways and windows.

You’ll need to reapply this treatment after it rains or if the bugs come back.
Diatomaceous earth is non-toxic to humans and pets, but it is lethal to boxelder bugs. That’s because the fine silica-based powder affects insects’ exoskeletons, leading to their death.
You can use Borax instead of diatomaceous earth, if you’d like. This boron-based compound is also safe to use around the home.

Spray the outside of your home with insecticide if the bugs are swarming. Boxelder bugs release a chemical that attracts other boxelder bugs, which can sometimes lead to large swarms. This is especially common in the fall, when the bugs are trying to find somewhere warm to spend the winter. If a swarm occurs, use insecticide to kill the bugs. Follow the specific application instructions for the product you’re using, observe all listed safety precautions, and spray the entire wall where the boxelder bugs are congregating.

You can also use the insecticide to create a perimeter around your home, preventing the boxelder bugs from getting inside.
Look for a commercial preparation that lists boxelder bugs on the label. Common chemicals for residential pesticide use include bifenthrin, cyfluthrin, and deltamethrin.
Keep children and pets away from areas treated with an insecticide.

Vacuum up big clumps of bugs. If you have a shop vac or a vacuum with an attachment hose, you can bust big groups of boxelder bugs by simply sucking them up. Then, either take the bag out of the vacuum or empty the canister into a garbage bag, and seal the bag tightly shut before you throw it away. This will keep the bugs from escaping.

This is also an effective way to remove boxelder bugs that get inside your home.

Call a professional if the bugs still aren’t gone. If you’ve tried diatomaceous earth, borax, or commercial insecticides and the boxelder bugs haven’t left, you may need to call a professional exterminator. The exterminator will come out and assess the situation, and typically they will then give you an estimate for how much they think it will cost to fix the problem. In most cases, the consultations will be free, but be sure to check first.

If you’ve never used an exterminator before, ask your friends and family to recommend someone to you, or research local exterminators online to find one with mostly positive reviews.

Method 2 : Discouraging Large Swarms

Rake up fallen boxelder seeds as soon as they drop. Boxelder bugs feed on the sap from female boxelder trees, which they primarily obtain from their seedpods. When you notice the seedpods starting to drop in the fall, rake them up and dispose of them as often as possible. This will help remove the bugs’ food source, which will discourage them from congregating in your yard.^[7]

Boxelder bugs also feed on other types of maple trees, though not as commonly. If the boxelder bugs seem to be attracted to another tree, rake the leaves and seeds from that tree as soon as they fall, as well.

Use a strong stream of water to disperse small groups of bugs. Since boxelder bugs attract others, you can help prevent large swarms by keeping smaller groups from forming. If you see several boxelder bugs together, spray them with a hose set to the strongest stream possible.^[8]

This won’t kill the bugs or cause them to leave your property, but if you’re able to catch them when they’re just starting to gather, they won’t be able to release their scent to call others to that spot.

Soak the bugs with soapy water to kill them quickly. Spraying the bugs with plain water won’t kill them, but using soapy water will. Mix about 1 tablespoon (15 mL) of dish soap into a spray bottle full of water. When you see boxelder bugs on the side of your house, near your windowsill, or anywhere else they might gather, just grab your spray bottle and saturate the bugs. This is less harmful than using chemicals to treat the bugs, while still being very effective.

Replace female boxelder trees if you want to permanently get rid of the bugs. If nothing else you’ve tried has made much of a difference and the boxelder bugs are really bothering you, you might consider removing the female trees. Hire a professional tree removal service to safely cut down the female boxelder tree, then plant another tree in its place.

Male boxelder trees don’t produce seedpods, so you don’t need to cut these down.
This is an extreme solution to getting rid of a bug that generally doesn’t cause too much trouble. In most cases, it’s simpler to keep your tree and just accept the bugs.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Are soapberry bugs harmful?

Soapberry bugs are found in many parts of the world, and their rapid rate of reproduction and adaptation have made them a diverse family of insects. While it is alarming to see hundreds of these insects on your outdoor structures, soapberry bugs are not usually harmful to your home or garden.

How do I permanently get rid of boxelder bugs?

Since the pests feed on the seedpods of female boxelder trees, removing them and replacing them with non-seed-bearing male trees (or other species) can help you be rid of the bugs permanently. Keep in mind that the more mature the tree, the costlier it will be to remove.

What spray kills boxelder bugs?

To kill boxelder bugs you find in your house, spray them with Ortho® Home Defense® Insect Killer for Indoor & Perimeter following label directions. Then, remove the dead bugs since they may attract carpet beetles that will go on to attack fabrics, stored dry goods, and other natural products in your home.

What kills jadera bugs?

Soapy water is an excellent way to get rid of current jadera bugs and prevent future infestations of them as well.

How long do soapberry bugs live?

Reproductive adults may live for as long as 2 months (Carroll 1991).

Will vinegar get rid of boxelder bugs?

Like many bugs, however, box elder bugs are deterred by the smell of vinegar. Use this natural ingredient as a homemade repellent to help staunch the flow of bugs and reduce or eliminate their numbers in your house. Fill a spray bottle with white vinegar (you can use other vinegars, but white doesn’t stain).

How do I get rid of boxelder bugs naturally?

A simple solution made from soap and water will kill boxelder bugs. Add a tablespoon or so of dish washing liquid soap to a spray bottle full of water and shake gently to combine. Spray the mixture directly on any bugs you see.

Why do I have so many boxelder bugs?

Boxelder bugs tend to have high populations during hot, dry summers (records show their populations skyrocketed during the Dust Bowl in the 1930s), meaning a summer like we had can produce a lot of boxelder bugs. They are now sensing the seasons are changing, and looking for a warm place to hunker down for the winter.

Are jadera bugs harmful to dogs?

These bugs are in no way dangerous. They are just annoying in high numbers. Usually removing them by hand and policing their food supply will get rid of them. But if they are a constant nuisance you will want to call a pest professional to solve the problem.

How do you get rid of rain bugs in trees?

Management: In most instances, no attempts to control the golden rain tree bug are necessary. A small concentration on a plant often can be destroyed by hand collecting. If the bugs are a nuisance in lawns or playgrounds, raking to remove the seeds that the bugs are feeding on should be helpful.

Are jadera bugs harmful?

Jadera bugs feed exclusively on seeds, which means that they do not damage structures, plants in your landscape and they do not bite or vector diseases. When squashed, they can stain hands and clothes red. But other than that, they are harmless.

What happened in the Soapberry bug population?

What happened in the soapberry bug population in central Florida when the bugs began to feed on smaller goldenrain tree fruits? The length of each bug’s beak gradually became shorter over time. Bugs developed short beaks, because they needed them to feed on the small fruits.

What do boxelder bugs look like?

Boxelder bugs are black with reddish or orange markings on their back. Adult boxelder bugs have a body shape that is a somewhat-flattened and elongated oval and is about half an inch long. They have six legs and two antennae that are typically half of their body length.