People are always coming to me for information about stink bug infestations. Stink bugs have been on the rise lately, and they are some of the stinkiest pests you will ever deal with. Maybe you are dealing with a current stinkbug infestation. You may be wondering if a stink bug infestation is typical for your area. And if you don’t currently see any stink bugs, you may be wondering if these smelly pests live in your area.
So, where do stink bugs live? Stink bugs are found in many places, including in various climates all over North America. In the winter, they may hide under rocks, weeds, or even inside of your home before becoming more active in warmer months. Stink bugs will often try to find a way into residential homes regardless of the weather.
Today, we’re going to talk about the general areas that stinkbugs are most likely to populate. And if stink bugs live in your home, I’m going to show you how to get rid of them. I will even give you a few effective products that you can find on Amazon.
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Where do Stink Bugs Live?
This may not be what you want to hear, but often you will find stink bugs living in your house. Many times stink bugs will crawl into your home when it’s warm so that they can find a warm place to stay during the colder months.
Many times, I have people telling me that they have found a great number of stink bugs in their attic during the winter! But when it gets warmer out, they will all crawl out of their winter hiding places to populate the rest of your home.
Where do Stink Bugs Hide at?
Outside, stink bugs will find other places to hide during the cold weather. They can be found hiding:
- under stones
- under weeds
- underground cover
- … and under other surfaces.
Stink bugs will crawl out of their hiding places when springtime comes around.
When outside, you might find them hiding around your windowsills, door frames, and walls. During warm weather, stink bugs will find places that have the most sun exposure.
If you have stink bugs in your home, you may either see them out and about, or they may be hiding out of sight. During the winter time, stink bugs may be likely to live in your walls, the attic, or crawl space.
You might also find them under floorboards. And they will be visible during more times of the year if you live in a warmer climate. It is estimated that stink bugs can enter your home in numbers of hundreds and thousands.
Also, read this article here What attracts stink bugs / 9 ways to kill stink bugs
Can stink bugs lay eggs indoors?
Fortunately, you may be happy to know that stink bugs generally only live between six to eight months on average. This means that even though they may be hiding in your home, they may have a very short lifespan left once they are already in there.
And the more good news is that stink bugs do not typically lay eggs inside of the home, as they prefer to leave their eggs on the underside of plant leaves. But if you have stink bugs laying eggs in your yard, you may see a lot more of them trying to get inside of the house.
And the smell that these bugs make may attract more of them. So if you are killing stink bugs around and inside of your home, the smell they make will attract more of them. This means that you need to focus on killing and controlling stink bugs in a way that will minimize them from releasing their smells.
You don’t want to risk bringing more in! However, we will talk about proper ways to repel and kill stink bugs later on.
Where in the World can Stink Bugs be Found?
If you live in the Northeast or Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States, you may be very familiar with the sight of stink bugs. But they can be found all across the North American continent. The standard brown stink bug is actually native to Asia. They were introduced to the Americas in the 1990s, and they have been growing in numbers ever since.
The stink bug has been identified in over 40 US states, several Canadian territories, and news reports in recent years have talked about them possibly invading UK countries. If you’re in Asia, you may spot them in several countries throughout the continent.
However, stink bugs may be invading new places all the time. Therefore, you should stay up to date on whether they currently can be found inside of your country or not. Just because stink bugs have never invaded your country or don’t currently doesn’t mean they never will!
In the United States, the stink bug invasion has been devastating for agriculture. Stink bugs present significant problems for farmers, crops, and food supply. At all of their life stages, stink bugs may feed on a large number of crops. And this causes a lot of problems since they reproduce in large numbers. Stink bugs may also feed on ornamental plants and flowers.
How to Deal With Your Stinkbug Infestation?
If stink bugs are living in your home, you will want to get them out. But maybe you are not sure how to get rid of your stink bug problem. Fortunately, I have some solutions for you on how to repel stink bugs from your home. And we will also talk about why you don’t want stink bugs coming in your home in the first place.
How to Keep Stink Bugs From Coming in Your House?
Repair any cracks
Stink bugs will be attracted to cracks and crevices around the outside of your home. They will often come in through these simple entrances. Therefore, you will want to repair any cracks, crevices, or holes that stink bugs might use as entryways. A tube of caulk may be very helpful in order to seal up cracks that stink bugs could fit through.
Try to keep doors and windows closed
Try to keep doors and windows closed during warmer months since an open door will be the perfect invitation to a stink bug. If you have tears and holes in your screen doors and window screens, look into having those repaired, since they will be the perfect places for stink bugs to crawl in through. Try to keep broken windows repaired or at least covered to deter stink bugs.
Be careful of objects that you bring inside
During months where outdoor stink bug numbers are high, be careful of objects that you bring inside. Make sure anything you bring indoors doesn’t have any stink bugs coming along for the ride!
And if infestations are severe, make sure you don’t have any stink bugs holding on to your clothing when you come indoors.
Use Stink Bug repellents
You can also use certain repellents to deter stink bugs from coming into your house. Commercial sprays, essential oils, herbs, and ultrasonic repellent devices are all good ways to keep stink bugs out of your home by deterring them away.
For example, this aerosol spray from Cosyworld will kill stink bugs on contact. it features no odor, and it can be used both indoors and outdoors. This stink bug spray comes with a nozzle to apply to larger or more narrow areas. Also, this spray is non-toxic, safe and chemical free.
And this spray by PremoGuard is natural, non-toxic, and it is also effective for dust mites as well as stink bugs. This spray is advertised to last up to two weeks at a time when it comes to keeping pests away.
How to get rid of stink bugs?
Here are some things you can do to get rid of stink bugs already in your home:
- Use commercially available products to get rid of stink bugs. This may include synthetic or natural sprays, traps, or other devices intended to kill or repel them.
- A popular method for getting rid of stink bugs is to vacuum them up, and then throw away the vacuum bag.
- Avoid smashing or squashing stink bugs at all costs!
- Try using natural herbs or essential oils in scents that repel stink bugs. Bay leaves are a good smell to keep them away. Peppermint essential oil also effectively deters stink bugs.
- Diatomaceous earth is an excellent way to get rid of stink bugs and a variety of other pests.
- Since stink bugs are repelled by mint, you could try adding mint plants outside of your home.
- Stink bugs are also repelled by the smell of garlic.
Remember, squashing them will only make them release their stinky odor! Try to avoid smashing stink bugs to keep them from smelling. And don’t sneak up on them either, since scaring a stink bug will also trigger the smell.
Why You Don’t Want Stink Bugs in Your Home?
Besides being stinky and annoying, there are many reasons that you might not want to share your home with stink bugs. Fortunately, stink bugs do not bite, spread disease or cause significant structural damage to homes.
But you don’t want to live with stink bugs for the following reasons:
- If someone in your home is allergic to stink bugs, keeping them out of the house may be trivial to preventing allergy symptoms.
- Stink bugs may leave excretions all over your home, which may be messy and unsightly.
- Plants of all kinds may become victim to stink bugs. This is because stink bugs may eat plants intended for both food and decoration.
- Even though they do not generally spread diseases, you don’t want stink bugs crawling across the food in your kitchen.
- Stink bugs can be hard to control once inside, and their smell will attract more stink bugs to come into your house.
And obviously, you don’t want stink bugs in your home releasing their stink and making your home smelly! Now, let’s discuss some products intended to get rid of them.
Final thoughts: Where do stink bugs live and to get rid of them?
So, do you have stink bugs living in your home? Today, we have discussed subjects such as where stink bugs live, why you don’t want them living with you, and what you can do to get rid of them.
Here at Pest Control FAQ, you will find the right answers to your pest control questions. Whether you are facing stink bugs, bed bugs, or non-insect pests, I am committed to helping you control your pest populations.
Related Questions
Can stink bugs hurt or bite you? Stink bugs will not bite a human being or pet animals. They can’t sting and stink bugs don’t cause any structural damage to homes. However, you may be hurt by stink bugs if you are allergic to them. And they will also be able to damage your crops, or even ornamental plants kept indoors and outdoors.
Can you be allergic to stink bugs? Yes, some people can be allergic to the smelly compound that stink bugs release when frightened. You may also be able to become allergic to stink big excretions or even direct skin exposure to whole or crushed stink bugs. Some of the symptoms of this allergy may be red rashes, other skin irritation, runny nose, teary eyes, or other symptoms. If you suspect you may have a stink bug allergy, you should consult a doctor.
What are the natural predators of stink bugs? Since stink bugs emit a foul-smelling odor, they don’t have a large number of natural predators. Most animals find the stink bug’s smell to be obnoxious and repelling. Some species of insects and spiders are best used for controlling stink bug populations. A few species of rats and birds may also be willing to eat stink bugs.
