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G E N E S I S 
      TERMITE &
                PEST CONTROL

Residential and Commercial Termite and Pest Control, serving Lancaster County and the surrounding area. New Holland's family owned, trusted local pest control and extermination experts.

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BOXELDER BUGS

Boxelder Bug Damages & Risks:

  • Nuisance invasions in large numbers - their main issue, as they overwinter inside walls and living spaces, sometimes by the hundreds or thousands.

  • Staining - droppings leave yellowish-orange or reddish marks on curtains, walls, and upholstery.

  • Odor when crushed - they give off an unpleasant smell if squashed, so vacuuming beats swatting.

  • Seasonal returns - once a home is a known overwintering site, they come back year after year and re-emerge indoors on warm days.

  • Minor tree presence - they feed on boxelder, maple, and ash seeds, but this is cosmetic and rarely harms established trees.

  • The reassuring part: boxelder bugs don't bite, sting, or spread disease, don't damage your home's structure like termites or rodents, don't reproduce indoors, and aren't harmful to pets. The problem is purely the nuisance - and that's very manageable.

What to Look For:

  • The bug itself - about ½ inch, black with distinct reddish orange lines on its back and wings; bright red-orange bodies on the younger nymphs.

  • Clusters on sunny walls - large groups sunning on south- and west-facing exterior walls, foundations, and around windows in early fall.

  • Bugs pushing indoors in fall - showing up around windows, doors, and inside on warm days as they look for a place to overwinter.

  • Reappearances on warm winter/spring days - a few crawling out inside when the sun warms the walls.

  • Yellowish orange or reddish stains - droppings on curtains, walls, and light-colored surfaces.

  • Presence near boxelder, maple, or ash trees - their favorite feeding spots, so nearby trees mean higher odds.

Why DIY Doesn't Work:

  • Spraying the ones you see does nothing about the source - for every bug indoors, many more are tucked in wall voids and gaps you can't reach.

  • They exploit tiny entry points - cracks around windows, doors, siding, and utility lines that are easy to miss and hard to fully seal.

  • Store bought sprays don't prevent the cluster - the real fix is a well-timed exterior treatment in late summer or early fall, before they gather; once they're inside, you're already behind.

  • They come back every year - a home they've overwintered in becomes a repeat target, so a one-time DIY effort rarely holds up the next season.

  • Crushing or vacuuming is only a band aid - it handles a few bugs but does nothing about the hundreds still trying to get in.

  • Timing is everything, and it's easy to miss - the effective treatment window is narrow, and professionals know exactly when and where to apply it.

LANTERNFLY/SPOTTED LANTERNFLY

Lanternfly Damages & Risks:

  • This invasive planthopper was first discovered in the U.S. in Berks County in 2014, right next door, and has since spread across the region. Lancaster County is among the counties under a state quarantine aimed at slowing its spread, which makes it a pest nearly every property owner here deals with.

  • The good news up front: spotted lanternflies don't bite, sting, or spread disease to people or pets. The damage is to your plants, trees, and outdoor living space - but that damage is real.

  • Plant and tree stress. Lanternflies feed by the hundreds on sap from trees, vines, and shrubs, causing oozing sap, wilting, leaf curling, and dieback. Repeated heavy feeding weakens plants and can kill vulnerable young trees and vines. 

  • Honeydew and sooty mold. As they feed, they excrete a sugary substance called honeydew that encourages the growth of black sooty mold. The mold is harmless to people but damages plants, and the honeydew coats decks, patios, furniture, cars, and play equipment in a sticky mess. 

  • Quality of life nuisance. In infested areas, residents report hundreds of these insects covering trees, swarming in the air, and coating outdoor surfaces—enough to genuinely interfere with enjoying your own yard in late summer and fall. 

  • Agricultural threat. They're an especially serious danger to grapes, fruit trees, hardwoods, and nursery stock, which is exactly why the quarantine exists.

What to Look For:

  • The insects themselves, in their showy adult form (gray forewings with black spots, bright red underwings) from mid summer into fall, or as black and red spotted nymphs earlier in the season.

  • Egg masses - grayish, mud-like smears on tree trunks, stones, outdoor furniture, and any flat surface, laid in fall. Each mass holds 30 to 50 eggs, so scraping them off over winter directly cuts next year's population.

  • Sticky honeydew and black sooty mold on plants, decks, and surfaces beneath where they feed.

  • Weeping or oozing sap on host trees, often with wasps and ants drawn to the sugars.

  • Tree of Heaven on or near your property -their favored host plant, and a magnet that concentrates them where it grows.

  • A local note: The state encourages residents to kill lanternflies on sight and to scrape and destroy egg masses over the winter - every mass removed is dozens of insects that won't hatch in spring. Managing them well usually also means dealing with Tree of Heaven and targeted tree treatments, which is where professional help makes a difference.

Why DIY doesn't Work:

  • They keep flying back in. Even if you stomp and spray every one you see, more move in from surrounding trees and neighboring properties—so you're fighting an endless resupply, not a fixed population.

  • The host trees are the real source. Lanternflies concentrate around Tree of Heaven and other hosts. Unless those are treated or removed, the yard keeps drawing them—and store-bought sprays don't address that.

  • Egg masses hide and survive. Each grayish egg mass holds 30 to 50 eggs, tucked onto trunks, stones, and furniture where they're easy to miss. Overlook a few and next spring's hatch undoes your work.

  • Sprays are short-lived. Over-the-counter treatments knock down what they hit and then wear off, so the population bounces back within days.

  • Lasting control means targeting the host trees that draw them in, treating strategically through the season, and destroying egg masses over winter—not chasing individual bugs with a spray can.

STINK BUGS

Stink Bug Damages & Risks:

  • Nuisance invasions. In fall they push indoors by the dozens or hundreds, clustering on sunny walls and slipping in through gaps around windows, doors, vents, and siding to overwinter in wall voids and attics.

  • The smell. When crushed or disturbed, they release a pungent, lingering odor - which is why squashing them indoors backfires.

  • No bites, stings, or disease. They don't bite people or pets, don't sting, don't spread disease, and don't damage your home's structure or reproduce indoors, they are simply an invasive nuisance pest.

  • Agricultural damage (the real threat). In the field they're a serious crop pest, feeding on tree fruit, vegetables, and ornamentals - a significant concern for our area's orchards and farms.

What to Look For:

  • The bugs themselves - the classic shield shaped, mottled brown body, often on warm, sunny exterior walls in fall or clustered around windows.

  • Indoor clusters appearing on warm winter days, when overwintering bugs wake and wander toward light and windows.

  • Entry points - gaps around windows, doors, utility penetrations, vents, and torn screens where they're slipping in.

  • The odor - that distinctive smell after one is disturbed or crushed.

Why DIY Doesn't Work:

  • They pour in through tiny gaps. Cracks around windows, siding, vents, and the roofline let hundreds inside - faster than you can seal or spray them.

  • They're hiding where you can't reach. Come fall they pack into wall voids, attics, and crawl spaces to overwinter, then wander out all winter and spring.

  • Sprays barely faze them. Store bought sprays kill on contact at best and break down within days, so the next wave walks right in.

  • Crushing or vacuuming backfires. Disturbing them releases that lasting odor - and a full vacuum can hold the smell for weeks.

  • Indoor spraying can cause a bigger mess. Killing them inside the walls can draw carpet beetles and other pests that feed on the dead bugs.

  • Timing is everything. The real defense is a professional exterior barrier applied before they gather in early fall - a window most homeowners miss.

  • The fix: seal the entry points and apply a properly timed exterior treatment - exactly what we do.

Seasonal Invaders in Lancaster County and Beyond

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