Western Conifer Seed Bug Control: How to Get Rid of Western Conifer Seed Bugs

This page is a general Western conifer seed bug control guide. Using the suggested products and methods will help you completely control Western conifer seed bugs on your property. Follow this DIY guide and use the recommended products, and we guarantee 100% control of Western conifer seed bugs.

Western conifer seed bugs, commonly called pine seed bugs or leaf-footed bugs due to their leaf-like hind legs, are common invaders of homes during the fall. As a defense mechanism when alarmed or threatened, the Western conifer seed bug omits a foul-smelling odor, often causing homeowners to mistake it for a stink bug. Another pest it is commonly mistaken for is the assassin bug due to its similar appearance.

While they are closely related to stink bugs, Western conifer seed bugs are in their own family and have issues. Western conifer seed bugs are different from assassin bugs because they are plant feeders, feeding on various conifer trees and shrubs. Damages to trees and shrubs are less threatening since they feed on seeds, causing a stunt in seed growth.

However, they can congregate in large groups, potentially damaging foliage with extensive feeding activities. Western conifer seed bugs can become a nuisance when they cluster together in small groups on the side of buildings or indoors during September and October. Fortunately, Western conifer seed bugs do not cause damage to homes, but with the increase of these pests comes the larger chance of smelling their foul odors. If the steps and products in this DIY guide are taken before the change of cooler fall weather and the emergence of spring, then Western conifer seed bugs can be controlled.

Identification

Before proceeding with a treatment program, you must ensure the pest infesting your yard is a Western conifer seed bug. Careless identification can lead you to use the wrong treatment products, wasting time and money. Below are some traits to know what Western conifer seed bugs look like:

• Western conifer seed bugs are 3/4 inches long and have a triangular shield body where the wings overlap near the thorax. Their hind legs have slight hairs.
• They have a dull brown marbled appearance, a faint white zigzag line on the center of their back, and ornate brown and white markings along the edge of the abdomen.
• At a glance, the Western conifer seed bug resembles a stink bug except that its lower legs are widened on each side, resembling a leaf. Stink bugs will have a straight cylindrical legs. Another way to tell this is by looking at the antennae, which will have no white bands, whereas stink bugs will have these white bands on the last two antennae segments. Lastly, stink bugs have a broader body, while Western conifer seed bugs are longer and narrower.

Use the images and description above to help you properly identify a Western conifer seed bug. If unsure, email us with a photo of your pest or visit one of our store locations with a photo or sample of the pest in a sealable plastic container. By doing this, we can help properly identify and suggest the appropriate treatment plan for that pest.

Inspection

Once you have confirmed Western conifer seed bugs, you will proceed with an inspection in and around your home. During this phase, you will look for areas where the pest frequently visits and conditions that allow the pest to thrive.

Where to Inspect

Western conifer seed bugs are mainly outdoor pests that feed on the seeds of various trees and shrubs, especially pine cones during the summer. While they prefer pine, the Western conifer seed bug also feeds on the seeds of Douglas-fir, dogwood, sumac, and other conifers.

Towards the end of summer and early fall, this pest begins entering homes and structures, seeking protection against the cold.

What to Look For

They do not build a nest indoors or cause structural damage, but these pests hide in cracks and crevices. Like the stink bug, the Western conifer seed bugs release a foul-smelling odor when disturbed, crushed, or handled.

Once the temperatures drop, the Western conifer seed bug enters a state of hibernation until spring, when it will become active again. You may find these pests deceased indoors since they perish within a week or two if they cannot find water. Their bodies or the pest can move slowly near baseboards, window and door frames, electrical outlets, fixture openings, heating/cooling vents, or inside walls.

Treatment

Before applying any pesticide, wear the proper personal protective equipment (PPE), such as gloves, masks, safety goggles, a long-sleeve shirt and pants, closed-toe shoes with socks, and coveralls or a Tyvek suit.

The best action against Western conifer seed bugs is to ensure that your home is treated with a residual insecticide and that it is properly sealed, especially during September and October.

Step 1: Seal Cracks and Crevices

Western conifer seed bugs can enter your home through small cracks, crevices, voids, or other holes. For this reason, you should seal as many entryways for these pests as possible with caulk. Larger voids should be filled with Copper Mesh.

Step 2: Apply Residual Insecticide

Permethrin SFR 36.8% is an emulsifiable concentrate containing permethrin 36.8%, which affects the seed bug's central nervous system, leading to muscle spasms, paralysis, and eventual death. Once it dries on your treated foliage, it will continue to repel seed bugs and over 75 other types of pests for up to 30 days.

We recommend using a hose-end sprayer to reach the leaves on elevated trees. Determine how much Permethrin SFR 36.8% to use by measuring the square footage of the treatment area. To do this, measure the length and width of the treatment area and multiply (length X width = square footage). For acreage, divide the square footage by one acre (square footage / 43,560 sq. ft. = acre).

Use 8 fl. oz. of Permethrin SFR 36.8% per 100 gallons of water and apply 5 to 10 gallons of spray mixture per tree. To mix the solution in a hose-end sprayer, remove the reservoir from the nozzle while the control valve is off. Fill the reservoir with the measured amount of Permethrin SFR 36.8%, then attach it to the nozzle until it is secure. Once secured, turn the water hose on and switch the control valve from the off to the on position.

Turn the deflector on the hose-end sprayer upside down to apply the product to the underside of trees and shrubs. Spray the appropriate amount of water until no product is left in the reservoir.

When treating evergreen shrubs, perform a broadcast application with 0.9 to 1.8 fl. oz. of product per 4 gallons of water per 10,000 sq. ft. Spray the top and bottom of the tree and other ornamental plant leaves until wet, but not to the point of runoff.

Spray the mixed Permethrin SFR 36.8% solution when 30 days have passed after flower closure. Direct application to blooms may cause browning of petals.

This product may be used on ornamental plants, foliage, and flowering plants, evergreens, woody and herbaceous non-edible ornamentals, and non-bearing plants of fruiting species in landscaped areas around industrial, residential, and commercial buildings, non-crop, and for treatment of plants intended for aesthetic purposes in interior gardens and plantscapes.

Step 3: Direct Spray Applications

While you can manually remove Western conifer seed bugs with a glove-covered hand in your home, it is best to avoid physical contact with a direct insecticide aerosol spray. Doxem NXT is a broad-spectrum aerosol insecticide with four modes of action and four active ingredients to eliminate leaf-footed bugs, which is what a Western conifer seed bug is considered.

If you find a Western conifer seed bug in your home, perform a spot treatment. To do this, hold the can 12 to 15 inches away from the pest and apply at the rate of 2 seconds of spraying per 2 sq. ft. Make sure to treat all Western conifer seed bugs in the area directly. However, each spot application does not exceed 2 sq. ft. in size.

Deceased Western conifer seed bugs can still emit a foul odor when crushed, so gently pick them up with a clove-covered hand or paper towel.

Prevention

Once Western conifer seed bugs have been eliminated, it is important to enact preventative measures to keep this pest away from your tree, shrubs, and home. Here are some preventative tasks to prevent Western conifer seed bugs from returning to your yard and home:

• Start by eliminating all potential openings in and around your home by sealing cracks, crevices, and holes with caulk and larger voids with Copper Mesh. All other gaps, such as around window and door frames, will need to be properly repaired or replaced.
• Install or repair damaged screens on doors and windows around your home to keep Western conifer seed bugs out.
• Maintain your lawn by regularly raking, mowing, and pruning overgrown branches and leaves to limit habitats and food sources.
• Western conifer seed bugs can be prevented indoors with regular crack and crevice treatments with Doxem NXT. Lift the injection tube until it points outwards, and then place the injector into cracks, crevices, holes, and other small openings. With a glove-covered hand, spray Doxem NXT along the opening length in 1-second bursts at a speed of 3 feet per second and space the applications out about 3 feet apart. In inaccessible voids, calculate the void’s volume and treat at a rate of five to ten seconds per three cubic feet. Treat outdoor cracks, crevices, and voids around you before spring (May), early summer (June), and fall (August to October). When applied, Doxem NXT will continue to repel pests for up to 180 days after application.
• Retreat trees and ornamentals before the fall and spring seasons with Permethrin SFR 36.8% to control Western conifer seed bugs before they emerge from eggs and as they feed and travel.

Key Takeaways

What are Western Conifer Seed Bugs?

• Western conifer seed bugs are a type of seed bug that feeds on the seeds of several conifer species and, much like the stink bug, releases a pungent odor when crushed or threatened.

How to Get Rid of Western Conifer Seed Bugs

• To get rid of Western conifer seed bugs, you must first seal off any holes, voids, cracks, crevices, or holes in and around your home. Next, perform an application outdoors on foliage with Permethrin SFR 36.8% and treat any exposed pests indoors with Doxem NXT.

Preventing Western Conifer Seed Bug Reinfestation

• Keep holes, gaps, or voids inside and outside your seal with caulk or Copper Mesh. Regularly maintain your lawn's health with ongoing raking, pruning, and mowing. Treat indoor and outdoor cracks, crevices, and voids with Doxem NXT every quarter to keep Western conifer seed bugs away for up to 180 days. Retreat trees and ornamentals before spring (May), early summer (June), and fall (August to October) with Permethrin SFR 36.8%.