Fifth Grade
Worksheets
Boxelder Bugs
If you've ever been in the Midwest in the early fall, you might have seen a swarm of boxelder bugs covering the sunny side of a building or a house. These bugs have long, narrow black bodies. The adult bugs are about one half inch long. A boxelder bug has three red stripes right behind its head. It has wings that lay flat over its body. The wings fold over each other to make an "X." Underneath its wings, the boxelder bug has a bright red abdomen.
During the summer, boxelder bugs live their lives without really being noticed very much. They eat the sap from trees such as maple, ash, and boxelder. They don't damage the trees. When fall comes, the bugs begin looking for places to live during the winter. They leave the trees and gather in huge groups. They look for warm places to shelter themselves from the winter cold. They crawl into cracks and crevices in walls. They creep into gaps in casings around doors and windows.
During the winter, boxelder bugs are dormant. They live in the walls or attics in houses and don't move around very much .....
