The boxelder blues

Winter is the perfect time for bugs to take up a vacancy in your home with your warm, cozy floors and your plush, comfy couches. All those pesky summer bugs see your home and a winter ski resort - minus the skis. One such bug is that little ladybug wannabe, the boxelder. Don't let his name fool you - they'll run wild in your home and won't even knock before they do!

For the most part, these critters stay focused on the home they were named after, the boxelder tree. They basically are the tree's summertime vampire bugs, they bite down hard on the tree and suck out the sap. The winter is a different story. These little guys would rather the boxelder tree be burning in your fireplace than shivering in the cold moonlight. And that's when they strike.

Now, don't get me wrong, though they may make a nest in your house, reproduce all winter long, and poop on your carpets, they mean you no harm. That is, unless they mistake you for a boxelder tree and try to suck your blood...

Moving on.

How do you get rid of these pests, you ask? Well, you could always call your favorite exterminators at Moxie Pest Control of Arizona! But, if that isn't a quick enough fix for you, try these handy-dandy tips:

• How do you get rid of a vampire? Well, drive a stake through it's heart - but you can also get rid of the  host. If you have boxelder trees in close range of your humble abode, getting rid of them is the quickest way to ensure these bugs will never populate your living room again.
• Attack them when they least expect it. Spray the trees with horticulture oil or insecticide soap during the late summer. 
• Hit them with a shot of their own medicine - vacuum those suckers up!
• Treat any cracks and crevices in your home.
• Boil them with hot water - too bad they only taste good to ducks in soup.
• Invest in a duck.

...and, of course, if none of those work, you know where we live.