Stink bugs feel like nature’s revenge for every insect you’ve ever squished. They get their name from the foul stench they release when they’re threatened or disturbed. It’s a smell that’s tough to describe. Notes of dirty socks, rotting fruit and paper-mill pulp. In short, it stinks — and worse, it lingers. If you have a big stinkbug problem, we obviously recommend that you call us for an appointment, but if you think you’d like to take care of the issue yourself, we’ll give you some tips on how to get rid of stinkbugs in your home.

See also https://holisticpestsolutions.com/when-to-treat-for-stinkbugs/

Why Stink Bugs Come Indoors

Seasonal cues trigger stink bugs’ search for winter quarters; the shortening days and falling temperatures sending them scampering for cover. Their preference is sharing your home over the winter, piling into cracks and crevices by the thousands. Researchers once found 4,000 in a bread box size container — and 30,000 inside an outhouse-size building.

What They Do Inside

Once stink bugs hide indoors, they stage a slow-mo home invasion all winter long. They love to explore, lumbering along any surface — countertop, couch, toaster or bed. They like warm places, which means they’re happy to jump into your shower or morning coffee. When they fly, they bump and blunder into things, sounding like helicopters with serious mechanical issues.

The reason for a stink bug’s disoriented behavior indoors is diapause, a sort of insect hibernation. This zombie-like state allows them to move all around your home to find their favorite spot. They typically appear when a winter warm spell fools them into thinking it’s spring. Instead of finding their way outdoors, they emerge in your living spaces — and then chaos ensues. Inside, stink bugs tend to congregate on upper floors and in tight spaces. That’s why they often tuck into drapery folds and walk along the tops of walls. It’s why they mass in attics and crawl spaces above garages.

The good news is that stink bugs don’t eat, bite or reproduce indoors. When spring arrives, they’ll head outside to kick off a new season of munching and mating. The bad news is that they won’t leave until Spring and if you spot a few in your house NOW, there’s likely an army of them in your home.

What To Do

If you decide not to call us and want to deal with the stinkbugs on your own, it’s best to deal with them one by one. Here are some natural, holistic ways to deal with them.

Use Essential Oil Mix  – 10 drops of mint essential oil with 16 ounces of water and spray at interior entry zones like windows and doors.

Garlic Spray  – Combine two cups water and four teaspoons of garlic powder or a handful of garlic cloves and spray on indoor windowsills where stink bugs are likely to enter your home.

Vacuum the Critters  –  For bad infestations, some homeowners buy a small shop vac dedicated for stink bug use. You can also use a vacuum you already have, but proceed with caution with this tip. This method only works for vacuum cleaners with bags. And you’ll need to throw the bug-filled bags away immediately to prevent a stink bomb from developing.

Soapy Water  –  A stink bug’s natural reaction to any perceived threat is to drop straight down. Fill a wide mouth jar with soapy water (add some vinegar for extra killing power), move it into position beneath a stink bug, and most often it will drop right into the suds and drown. Combine equal parts hot water and dish soap in a spray bottle and spray on windowsill entry points.

Safeguard Your House  –  Prevention is key in combatting these critters. Caulk all cracks and crevices where bugs can enter. Place fine mesh over air vents to keep bugs from trying that sneaky alternative entryway.

Dryer Sheets  Dryer sheet odor offends stink bugs, so rubbing dryer sheets on window screens or at home entry points can be a great way to keep bugs at bay.

Sticky Pad  –  Cover a dry sweep mophead with a sticky lint remover sheet, and use it as a long-handled stink bug catcher. It’s perfect for grabbing any high-climbing bugs.

Night Light  –  Before bed, fill a wide pan with soapy water and place it in the room with the most stink bugs. Place a small light so it hangs over the dish. Overnight the stink bugs will flock to the light, fall into the suds and drown.

 

Avoid Chemical Insecticides  –  It’s tempting to douse the stinkers with an all-purpose insecticide, but few actually work to kill these bugs (they often raise from the dead a few days later). Also, if you do manage to kill them, their bodies may attract other insects to feed on them.

We hope you’ve found our tips on how to get rid of stinkbugs helpful.   CONTACT Holistic Pest Solutions if you need a free consultation for any pest problem or treatment any pests; or give us a call at 434 842 1700.  Whether you’re in Charlottesville, Palmyra, Keswick, Ivy, Crozet, Earlysville, Greene, Madison, Waynesboro, or Staunton, Holistic Pest Solutions has the perfect plan and we’re mindful of our clients AND our Earth.

*Our Environmental Commitment:  Holistic Pest Solutions is committed to the preservation of our environment. Our goal is to nurture the soils and plant life of lawns and landscapes.  Utilizing holistic pest control practices that cause the least amount of impact on the environment.

If we hear things enough, we tend to start thinking those things are fact.  When it pertains to pests in your home, things that you’ve ‘heard’ aren’t necessarily facts.  At Holistic Pest Solutions, we are mindful of our clients AND our Earth and we want to help clear up those common misconceptions about pests in your home.

“I haven’t seen any cockroaches/mice/creepy crawlies, so I don’t have a problem”

This is the biggest myth on this list. If you think that vermin can’t hide from you, you’re sadly mistaken. Humans have designed our habitats to be hospitable—after all, what animal wouldn’t want to live in a place with food, clean water, and protection from the elements? Pests have evolved to live alongside us and take advantage of this hospitality without being noticed. Unless you check every square inch of your home regularly, you probably have some type of pest living with you.

“My home is super clean. There’s no way I have pests”

There’s a theory unwanted house-guests are attracted to unclean areas, and while it’s true that many pests may flock to the occasional missed crumb on the floor, they certainly don’t need it to be compelled to enter your home. You can scrub your home until every surface sparkles and the vermin will still come.  Your home is warm, has resources for nesting, food, water, and it is protected, for the most part, from threats of weather and predators. There are plenty more reasons than messiness to attract them into your abode.

That said, you do need to be aware of potential food sources. Roaches will eat almost any form of organic matter—including hair and fingernail clippings. Protecting your food from pests is harder than you might think. Mice, for example, can jump up to a foot in the air, squeeze through a hole the size of dime, and climb notoriously well. That means you can’t simply place food on a higher shelf or shut it behind a door and call it a day. And the merest scrap of food can go a long way – they typically only eat 3 grams of food a day (that’s only 8 lbs all year).  You may have locked up all your food, but it takes a lot of work to rid your home of every crumb—and each crumb makes a meal for a mouse or an insect. Second, if pests can’t get food and water from your kitchen or faucets, they can often find it somewhere else. An animal might set up camp in your home, but venture out to, say, the yard for its meals. Also, apartment dwellers, for example, often share utilities, which make easy highways for pests to travel between units looking for resources.

Finally, many types of pests can endure for long periods of time without eating or drinking. Flea eggs can lie dormant for up to a year. Roaches can survive for up to a month without food, and a week without water.

My cat can catch the mice

Cats are one of the earliest forms of pest control.  Some even hunt the imaginary bugs!  But while cats are effective predators, they have a hunting range. Unless your pet has free run of the entire house, from the attic to the basement to the cabinets under your sinks, pests will simply hide where it won’t—or can’t—go. Really bad rodent infestations will defy even the most tenacious mouser, because there’s only so many pests a cat can kill in a day.

My house is on a concrete/brick slab, so I can’t get termites

This is a very common misconception. While it might be true that a home made of brick or stone placed on concrete can be better protected against termites, it is not 100% guaranteed. Typically, all homes have a wooden frame, and many also have wooden siding, decks, and other similar features. No matter how much the wood is separated from direct contact with the soil, the termites can and will work their way to it unless suitably deterred.

*Our Environmental Commitment:  Holistic Pest Solutions is committed to the preservation of our environment. Our goal is to nurture the soils and plant life of lawns and landscapes.  Utilizing holistic pest control practices that cause the least amount of impact on the environment.

I think we’ve all heard the phrase, “the bees knees”, but do we know what the heck it means?  Yes, I know this is supposed to be a blog about actual pests and not idioms about their knees, but hey, we all have to have our fun!  Let’s find out what the origin of “the bees knees” is and how it has buzzed it’s way into several different countries over the years.  We might even get into the “cat’s pajamas” while we’re at it!

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