By Craig Monger
Stink Bugs are one of the few things that get more annoying after you kill them. With the arrival of the delightfully refreshing Fall months, so comes the torrent of these foul-smelling pests. While they don’t offer any threat to you or your pets, they can still be an indelible nuisance once they find their way into your home. According to Xing Ping Hu, a pest management expert at Auburn University, it doesn’t take much to keep these critters at bay.
According to Hu, prevention is the best way to combat the would-be home invaders.
“They can be found in large numbers on the outsides of buildings or inside near doors, windowsills, and other entry points,” Hu said. “They do so to search for wintering sites.”
Any crack or crevice in your house and a stink bug will find it. Once they get into an attic or wall, they will inevitably find their way into your living spaces; at which point, the only option is to kill them. Be ye forewarned, killing these irksome blighters will cause them to release their patented namesake, and the odor can linger for an hour or longer. So, despite the temptation to crush, impale, burn, or otherwise butcher the vexing menace, a vacuum is the best way to dispose of them without incident.
The steps to preventing the encroachment of stink bugs will also be beneficial in avoiding spring and summer pests as well. Mice, rats, cockroaches, and various other vermin will be dissuaded from invading if the proper steps are taken.
Hu suggests a few simple steps to help prevent the intrusion of stink bugs in the fall:
- Using silicone, foam, and steel wool to obstruct any points of ingress into the home.
- Installing weather seals on every exterior door.
- Removing all debris, vegetation, pine straw, and mulch from around the house.
- Using a pesticide that is approved by a pest control specialist.
