Stink Bug Pest Control: How to Keep These Smelly Bugs Out of Your Home

 

Got a stink bug problem? Don’t worry, and be glad it’s not a cockroach problem! Getting rid of stink bugs is much easier than getting rid of roaches and other common insect pests, and generally less complicated than you might think. 

These reeking critters are a nuisance—it is severely unpleasant when they make their presence known—and they can stain some of your upholstery. However, sighting a stinkbug in your home is less likely an indication of infestation and more likely they simply flew in over your head when you were walking through the door. 

Here is our stink bug pest control advice to help you clear stink bugs from your home without a stinky situation.

What’s the Stink About Stink Bugs?

• Stink bugs are relatively harmless: they even seem to like and prefer to cohabitate with humans in the winter. 
• They’re named after the stinky liquid they excrete when they are stressed or otherwise threatened.
• The smell of stink bugs is akin to a combination of extremely strong cilantro, chemically laden paper pulp, and dirty socks. 
• Typically, their smell lingers in the air once released and can make your home rather unpleasant. 
• Generally, stink bugs don’t nest in homes during the hot summer months. However, in the colder winter months, they seek shelter from the low temperatures by crawling into cracks and crevices in houses and outbuildings. As temperatures rise in spring, stink bugs emerge from hiding to feed and mate outside.  

Stink Bug Pest Control: DIY

We’re usually not advocates for DIY pest control, but we’re more than willing to suggest it when it’s safe and actually works, like it usually does with stink bugs. 

It is relatively easy to prevent stink bugs from taking over your home, so here are a few ways to snuff these smelly guys out: 

Try Their Hiding Spots

Looking for stink bugs is easy. Homeowners often find stink bugs sitting on walls, furniture, and some plants in living rooms and other areas with windows that let in warm, sunny light. 

Check your window sills and other areas close to windows or sources of warmth. Door frames and wooden siding, exterior fixtures, electrical outlets, and light fixtures are common hiding spots for stink bugs. 

Signs that you have an infestation include molted skins and the bugs themselves, both dead and alive. Typically, you will be more likely to spot them on a warm day. 

How to Prevent Stink Bugs

In most cases, it is better to prevent pests like stink bugs than to have to employ treatments to eliminate them. Before the cold sets in, it is essential to prepare your home for a possible bug invasion. Here are some ways to ensure your winter is stink-free: 

• Seal and caulk any exterior opening. 
• Ensure that screens are fitted to your vents and surrounding crawl spaces. 
• Use sweep guards or other weather stripping to seal gaps around doors. 
• Essential oils like mint can help deter them from entering your home. Mix 10 drops of Mint essential oil with 16 oz. of water and liberally spray doors and windows. 
• You can spread diatomaceous earth across windows and entryways; it will dehydrate them and eventually desiccate them to death. 
• Remember to switch off lights at night as warmth attracts them. To trap them, place a large dish of stink bug bait (a mixture of dish soap, water, and vinegar) under a warm lamp overnight. They will fall into the liquid without emitting a stink. 
• Vacuum them up. 

Get a Pest Pro to Help

Stink bugs are generally easy to manage on your own. They can quickly be scooped up and removed from your home or property. However, if you are dealing with an infestation or are struggling to manage a large swarm, it is best to call qualified stink bug removal experts in Birmingham, AL. 

Vulcan Termite & Pest Control is a qualified Birmingham pest control provider that can help you manage household critters. With 40+ years of experience keeping homes, businesses, and other establishments in the area pest-free year-round, the people of Birmingham and across central Alabama trust us to exterminate harmful pests and implement preventive measures to keep them from returning. 

Contact us about any pest problems, and we’ll be there to solve them!

Thanks for reading today’s article from our pest blog! To learn more essential pest control and prevention tips, or to discover all the incredible biodiversity Alabama has to offer, check back in here with us every week for fresh new content, or look at past posts to see all the useful pest and critter-related knowledge we’ve shared over the years.