It's Stink Bug Season - Here are 10 ways to get rid of them

You’ve probably seen them crawling around your windowsills or flying inside the house. If you destroy them they expose a musty, defensive scent that has earned them their name – If you guessed stink bugs – you’re right! Stink bugs are looking for a warm place to spend the winter — perhaps inside your house.

Brown Marmorated Stink Bugs were first discovered in our Philadelphia area backyard. To be precise, they were first discovered in Allentown, Pennsylvania in 2001. According to the Pennsylvania State University Entomology department, they feed on fruit trees, ornamental plants, vegetables and legumes. These invasive pests are common throughout the mid-Atlantic region, especially in the fall! They are extremely hard to control because of their flying tendencies.

As of September 2010, Stink Bugs have been recorded from the following counties, although it is probable that they are in all counties:

Adams, Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Berks, Blair, Bucks, Butler, Cambria, Carbon, Centre, Chester, Clinton, Columbia, Cumberland, Dauphin, Delaware, Franklin, Indiana, Lackawanna, Lancaster, Lebanon, Lehigh, Luzerne, Mercer, Mifflin, Monroe, Montgomery, Northampton, Northumberland, Perry, Philadelphia, Pike, Snyder, Washington, Westmoreland and York.

How do I know if I have Stink Bugs?

Typically, stink bugs will emerge from cracks under or behind baseboards, around window and door trim, and around exhaust fans or lights in ceilings. Seal these openings with caulk or other suitable materials to prevent the insects from crawling out. Both live and dead stink bugs can be removed from interior areas with the aid of a vacuum cleaner – however, the vacuum may acquire the smell of stink bugs for a period of time. – Source Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences

Here are 10 ways to get rid of them:

Use a vacuum cleaner to suck up the bugs.
Cut the top of a half gallon or gallon jug, fill it with soapy water and use a piece of cardboard or a napkin to whisk the bugs into the water, which will drown them.
Seal up cracks around windows and doors with caulk or weather stripping.
Take out window-unit air conditioners; stink bugs can easily get through these.
Plant or move fruit trees and vegetable gardens, especially tomato plants, away from your home to prevent stink bugs from landing on the exterior of your home.
Squish stink bugs outdoors–the odor warns other stink bugs to flee.
Hang a stink bug trap outside your house to catch them. – UMD Bug Guy, Mike Raupp, YouTube.
Hang a damp towel outside your home overnight. In the morning, stink bugs will blanket the towel, and you can use a vacuum or knock them into a jug of soapy water to kill them.
Although most insecticides are ineffective against stink bugs, some do work, but the bug must be clearly on the label.
Check your attic for holes or gaps and close them up. Stinkbugs often enter through attics

Source: Susan Koomar, Theresa Katalinas

If you can’t take these invasive pests any longer, contact Green Pest Solutions. We will help you reduce your stink bug activity! Contact Green Pest Solutions for a FREE evaluation and get $50 instantly off Stink Bug Services.