stink bugs

Do Not Squish Stink Bugs

Crushed stink bugs emit an odor quite foul.

Don’t “go hatin” on the stink bug, or you’ll be sorry!

now you've got a stink bug problem!

Do not under any circumstances squish, squash, stomp,  crush or snuff out stink bugs. Any squishing, squashing, stomping, crushing and snuffing will result in the release of a malodorous chemical. You will be sorry.

Vacuuming is an effective strategy to get rid of stink bugs but you must be very careful when handling the vacuum bag or cannister.  Vacuuming will not kill the insects, but it will disturb them enough that they may emit their smell.  Work quickly to remove the vacuum bag, place in an airtight plastic garbage sack and throw it out far away from your home or any other inhabitable area.

The only sure fire way to get rid of stink bugs is to conduct a thorough inspection of your home and seal up any entry points you may see.  Check your outside foundation, water spigots, siding, windows and window sills, doors, basement and attic.  You will find openings and you should caulk them shut.

Stink Bugs Guide educates us all about the brown marmorated stink bug.  The site uses words like pentatomoidea and heteroptera suborder, so you know it’s got to be good!

Good luck getting rid of stink bugs!

Welcome Back Stink Bugs!

Stink bugs are beginning to come indoors.

Searching for warmer temperatures, pests come through doors and windows.

brown marmorated stink bugTemperatures are beginning to dip down into the range of what meteorologist call “chilly.”  The change in temperature makes our friend, the brown marmorated stink bug look for warmth.

Stink bugs come into our homes because they are looking for a place to hibernate over autumn and winter.  This means that we are witnessing the first of an ever mounting ascension of these pesky bugs around our doors and windows.

Remember, stink bugs do more damage outside than they do inside.  Crops and foliage pierced by their pincers are susceptible to fungus and disease.  Stink bugs, however, do very little damage to homes, furniture or clothing.

Great stink bug information can be found at stinkbug411.com.  Highly recommended site.

They simply bother humans when they are inside our homes.  Maybe it’s because we know that a disturbed stink bug will live up to its name.

Let’s home this year’s crop of stink bugs is imperturbable!

Fruit Loving Stink Bugs

Conditions are ripe for fruit loving stink bugs (3/18/2011). That’s the news from Sandy Bauers of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Pennsylvania’s apple industry took at 25 percent hit last year. This could be a catastrophic year for fruit farmers as the marmorated brown stinkbug continues its meteoric population rise.

Under assault by stink bugs (3/18/2011) explains that there are no natural enemies in the United States.  This informative article in the Christian Science Monitor speaks to the futility of pesticides to rid your home of stink bugs.  It also addresses som hopeful solutions that are under development.

USDA researcher searches for effective stink bug control (3/18/2011).  That’s the news from Brian Resnick’s article in the University of Delaware’s student newspaper.  Read about Kim Hoelmer as he diligently strives to create a stink bug repellent for the USDA’s Beneficial Insects Introduction Research Unit.

Stink Bug Problem Growing

Stink Bug

Stink Bug (photo by Marlin E. Rice)

NBC Washington reports on the ever growing
war on stink bugs, noting how they have become year-round pests.  Tim Persinko interviews farmers who have experienced serious crop damage from stink bug invasions.  These farmers expect the brown marmorated stink bugs to destroy even more crops as they become a major cause of crop damage.

Taking a financial affect of crop bugs, Jonathan Berr writes for Daily Finance concurs that the booming stink bug population is bad for farmers, but good for exterminators.   Exterminators are typically small businesses who have seen a windfall because of the pest , a native of Asia.   Stink bugs have become the scourge of the suburbs, and homeowners are reaching out to exterminators to get rid of stink bugs in their homes.

Speaking of home invasions, there is a nice post on philly.com relating stinkbugs entering a home via the air conditioner.  These pesky guys will get in, by hook or crook!

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