Despite the warm temperatures we have right now, fall is just around the corner. Fall is stink bug season because these foul smelling bugs like to invade homes looking for a place to stay warm during the cooler months. Stink bugs are an invasive species and will access your home, business or other warm building through any crack they can find.
What Are Stink Bugs?
Stink bugs are brown shield-shaped insects with white markings on their legs and antennae. When fully grown they can measure a half inch big. When disturbed or crushed (killed) they release a foul odor, hence their name. They don’t bite or sting people. They also aren’t destructive to wood and other structures in the home like many other insects and pests can be. But don’t be fooled, their odor is powerful and can permeate your home quickly.
Where Do Stink Bugs Come From?
If you can’t recall stink bugs from your younger days, that’s because there weren’t any in the U.S. Stink bugs hitched a ride from Asia to Pennsylvania in the early 2000’s. They spread to surrounding states and from state to state from there. Stink bugs can travel by clinging to objects such as cars, making their spread fast and wide. They were first recorded in South Carolina in 2011 and have proliferated here since then.
Getting Rid of Stink Bugs
If you only find one or two, use a canister-style vacuum with a hose attachment to vacuum them up and then dispose of the contents immediately. If you crush them or use a paper towel or other means to pick them up to remove them from the home, there’s a good chance you’ll trigger them to release their foul smell. However, they prefer to congregate in larger populations and can hide inside walls, only emerging when they are trying to find a way out of the home in the spring. This means seeing a random stink bug or two here or there can be a bigger infestation than you realize.
If you suspect you might have a larger infestation of stink bugs instead of a random few that wander in, it’s time to give the pros a call. The Pest Force is your stink bug specialist and can tackle any size infestation of this or any other pest that invades your home this fall.