If you find a shield-shaped insect that you smell before you see it, congratulations; you’re probably looking at a stink bug. Stink bugs are mostly a nuisance to average homeowners but can be a severe and damaging pest for farmers and serious gardeners. Stink bugs can’t bite, sting, or otherwise harm you, but they wreak their vengeance in another way: by reeking. They produce a noxious stench when they’re threatened or crushed. This stench contains compounds similar to those found in cilantro, but far from being pleasant, stink bug stink smells like rotten cilantro on steroids. What’s worse, it can linger much like a skunk. That means you want to keep these smelly pests from invading your home. Let’s talk about how and why pest control in Lake Oconee/Greensboro is necessary.
More Stink Bugs, More Problems
Stink bugs are native to East Asia, including China, Japan, and Korea. They hitched a ride to the United States on trade routes in the ‘90s and have spread themselves throughout much of the country since. Stink bugs need to find warm places to overwinter. This is the primary reason they invade people’s homes. When falling temperatures drive them to seek shelter, they’re often drawn to the ambient warmth of our artificially heated houses. Stink bugs squeeze into the cracks and crevices in your home, sometimes by the thousands, to wait for spring.
When warm weather rolls back around, stink bugs that have overwintered in your home pile out of their hiding places to get back outside. Unfortunately for them and their unwilling hosts, they can easily become trapped in your home after sheltering. This is why so many people wind up with a houseful of stink bugs as soon as spring rolls around.
Are Stink Bugs Dangerous?
Do stink bugs bite? No! They are not dangerous to people or pets, but their scent can absorb into materials around your home, meaning you’ll live with their odor long after you get rid of them. As we said above, stink bugs can also be a major problem for gardeners and farmers. Stink bugs feed on lots of different crops. If you have a fruit orchard or veggie garden, you might notice stink bug damage on your apples, beans, berries, eggplants, okra, peppers, tomatoes, and more. Stink bugs can eat almost every part of the plant, from the fruit to the leaves and the flowers. If enough of them feed on your garden, they can do severe stink bug damage.
What To Do About Stink Bugs
The best way to control stink bugs and prevent these foul-smelling pests is to keep them off your property during the winter. Take measures like:
- Seal up cracks and holes in your home’s exterior to prevent stink bugs from wintering inside them.
- Fix rips and tears in window and door screens.
- Install weather stripping under door sweeps and in window sills.
- Turn off exterior lighting or use yellow, orange, or red bulbs if you want to keep them on.
- Check groceries, especially produce, when you come home. Sometimes you can bring stink bugs onto your property in your food.
- Keep shrubs and branches trimmed back away from your home.
- Store firewood far away from your home’s exterior and off the ground.
If you wind up with a house full of stink bugs, there’s not much you can do to get rid of them on your own. Fortunately, to get rid of stink bugs in Lake Oconee/Greensboro, help is just a click or call away.
Why Stink Bugs Are Best Left To The Professionals
Here at American Pest Control, our professional home pest control technicians can not only help you get rid of an existing stink bug problem, but they can also help you devise a plan to prevent future re-infestation. So call us or visit our contact page to request a free inspection.
Our certified pest experts will work with you to find the best solution for your needs. Simply fill out this form for a free, no-obligation estimate.
Contact Us Today!