Help…the Stink Bug invasion won’t stop! UGH!
They’re all over the news and all over people’s homes throughout the eastern half of the country. While the Mid-Atlantic States like Pennsylvania and Maryland seem to be the hardest hit right now, many other areas are being affected by these smelly little critters.
These brown, shield-shaped Stink Bugs, also known as the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug, are native to China, Japan and other eastern Asia countries. Many recent reports indicate that the Stink Bug was introduced here in the U.S. sometime in the 90’s, although some folks in Georgia have seen them much earlier than that. Adult stink bugs are a little over a half of an inch in size and they do not carry diseases that are harmful to humans or pets.
They have been causing so much damage to several crops in the Mid-Atlantic area of the country and are expected to expand their range of destruction to other parts of the country. While they have been known for some time to be pests in the crop fields, many homes and neighborhoods are being overrun by Stink Bugs. In some instances thousands have been reported on buildings and homes. Stink Bugs are resistant to most common pesticides and are difficult to control.
Here are some ways that you can help to prevent theses smelly critters from invading your home:
- Seal and caulk around your home’s windows, doors and any other areas that have exposed cracks or openings.
- Repair any torn or broken screens in your doors and windows. Not sure how to fix a broken screen? Check out these project guides on how-to easily patch your home’s screens or to replace a framed screen.
- Be sure to keep your doors and windows closed; this will help to cut down on them entering your home.
- Make sure your attic vents are screened. This can be a huge entry way for all kinds of bugs and pest.
- Make sure there aren’t any exposed cracks or gaps around pipes. If you find any cracked or open areas around the exterior of your home, you can fill them products such as Great Stuff Big Gap Filler for the large gaps and Great Stuff Crack and Gap Filler for the smaller ones.
(Note to self: Now is probably a good time to get to that weather-stripping project that you have been putting off because the weather has still been fairly warm.)
If Stink Bugs do get into your home, you can vacuum them up, but be sure to remove the vacuum bag and place it in a sealed plastic bag and discard it. If you have a bag-less vacuum, it’s probably best NOT to vacuum up the bugs with it. Without a vacuum bag, these little critters can cause quite a stink in your vacuum cleaner.
It’s a very tough battle to be waged. My home was invaded in the fall for two years straight by Box Elder bugs. While they don’t stink and they just leave ugly brown stains everywhere, I feel your pain. Bug invasions are never easy to deal with and they can often be very stressful. I wish you the best of luck if these critters are affecting your home!
If you have any good ideas on how to keep Stink Bugs out of your home, please share them below for every one!
We vacuum daily and empty the vac daily,fly strips work well & masking tape. I have placed the bugs in soap water, strong.no results, I will keep trying
i purchased Hot Shot strips and have them around our home. They actually do work and kill the little pests. Since our home is constructed of cyprus boards, we sprayed the house itself and lots of the little pests came out between the boards and died. We still see one sometimes but between the spray and the Hot Shot strips they aren’t as plentiful
That’s great Sandy! I really like Hot Shot products. I use the concentrated spray in the little bottle and it works really well as a barrier. I will have to try the strips next time as well. Thanks for sharing, it’s a great help!
If you have a crawl space under your home – spread moth balls under there. It not only keeps out bugs but also critters such as mice, rabbits and cats…..
Thanks Saber! Great tip!