How To Get Rid of Stink Bugs

With the turning of the leaves and the arrival of the year's most festive holidays, we’re reminded that there is one thing that can always spoil our cozy fun; uninvited houseguests. There is one in particular that always seems to show up as soon as the heater is turned on for the fall, and over the years they have been making themselves very comfortable in our homes. With their shield shaped bodies and nasty odor, the appropriately named stink bugs are a nuisance to every home owner trying to beat the cold.

If you have a hard time recalling these pests being an issue in the past, you’d be entirely correct. Their first known presence in the United States wasn’t until 1998, where they were identified as having arrived as stowaways on international trading vessels from their home in Asia. It’s unknown exactly where the first arrivals came from. However, since they’ve arrived on our shores, they have made themselves very comfortable and expanded year after year, increasing their population hundreds of times over again with no sign of slowing down. Few animals will eat them due to their noxious smell and taste, and the damage they do has been growing with their numbers.Not only do they make foul houseguests, stink bugs have a big appetite for our favorite crops too. They gladly help themselves to fields full of everything from apples to zucchini, sipping out the juices inside and leaving plants sick once they’ve had their fill. The damages from their snacking amount to tens of millions of dollars.

Once the cold arrives stink bugs can still make your life miserable when they use your home for shelter. Seeking out protection from the snow and ice, these bugs will tuck themselves away any where they feel safe, often beneath picture frames or other out-of-the-way spaces where they will try to hibernate. This is already a nuisance if you only have one or two, and their tendency to invade as a group can make this habit exceptionally horrifying. Swarms in the hundreds are not unheard of, and some numbering in the thousands have been recorded sheltering in attics, forming a cluster that won’t move until spring. Their namesake odor can make this an inescapable nightmare for anyone in the immediate area, and even worse, it summons more of them to enter your home and seek out their friends.

While they are naturally hardy and resistant to many chemicals, and very good at hiding themselves away, professionals can help if you find yourself the unwitting host of a stink bugs lumber party. Here at Black Diamond, we can take care of any size infestation, and we thoroughly treat all the nooks and crannies these foul-smelling pests like to call home. You can go back to enjoying all the wonders of fall and winter without having to worry about uninvited guests spoiling your fun!

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