how to control box elder bugs with vinegar a single box Alda book may be interesting to look at even pretty but when the bugs infest your home it's hardly fun like many bugs however Fox alder 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 things you'll need white vinegar spray bottle fill a spray bottle with white vinegar you can use other vinegars but white doesn't stain for best results use a pump spray bottle rather than a finger atomizer since this will allow you to spray more and adjust the intensity of the spray spray areas in your home where the bugs like to congregate try window sills near doors or entry ways around the lower edges of walls and inside lighting fixtures give an extra hefty coating of vinegar to places where the bugs seem to be entering your home the most often since box LD bugs eat maple leaves almost exclusively this will often be areas on the side of the house closest to a maple bear in mind that it may be in a neighbor's yard go outside and locate the nearest maple trees if any boxelder bugs often flock from one of these trees to an indoor area so if you've got bugs coming in mass quantities chances are good you've got a maple quite nearby spray as much of the straightest path between the tree and an entrance to your home as you can bear in mind though that white vinegar will be harmful to grass if it lands on your lawn make a note of all the locations you've sprayed revisit these especially the most heavily trafficked ones every couple of days or so in reapply the vinegar tips warnings it's best to use vinegar is only a temporary solution for controlling boxelder bugs in the long term try to seal up the areas of your home where the insects are coming in you