Box Elder Bugs are small, black and red bugs that are often found around box elder trees. They thrive in warm climates and will be most active during the summer. Their diet consists of leaves, flowers and seeds, and they rarely venture indoors during the summer for this reason. Unfortunately, during the winter, they seek warm temperatures, and will be more likely to enter buildings to hibernate.
They are not dangerous and do not often cause structural damage, but their feces can leave reddish orange stains on fabric, and large infestations are quite unsightly. They are also capable of “biting” through human skin, but do not inject any toxins or venoms, so the bites are not serious nor painful.
