You can find stink bugs in your house in winter. This is because stink bugs require a warm environment to stay active and alive during the winter season. They’re typically active outdoors in the warmer seasons, therefore, you can find them in your home during winter. However, they do not reproduce inside the home during the winter.
Stink bugs like to spend the winter under bark and on tree branches or in crevices near the ground or wall. They are active and often spotted when temperatures begin to warm up in springtime as they prepare for a new season of life by munching on plants.
Stink bugs are a type of insect (Hemiptera) that feed on plants and fruit. The common stink bug is an unwanted pest in homes during colder months because they need a place to stay warm, just like people do! They are coming indoors looking for warmth, and it may be difficult to tell them from other insects that may be found around your home at this time of year, such as earwigs or ants.
Do Stink Bugs Hibernate In Winter?
Stink bugs remain dormant in the winter, just like many other insects do. The period during which stink bugs are active depends on their location. In warmer states, they reproduce all year round. But in most areas, they spend the winter hidden under stones, planks, weeds, and ground cover. In general, they will synchronize their dormancy period with local weather conditions and other insects as an act of survival.
Stink bugs survive the winter by going into a physiological state referred to as diapause. This is when their metabolism slows down and their activity drops sharply. They are still able to move, but only barely. This is part of what makes it harder to spot them on your own during this time. In the spring, the adult stink bugs become active again when they come out to feed on plants. This is also when they lay their eggs on plants.
Where Do Stink Bugs Nest In The House During Winter?
Stink bugs will move into homes in the fall and winter, but only if suitable conditions exist. Since these insects love warm temperatures, they will usually invade your home at this time of year. Otherwise, they could freeze outdoors in wintry climates.
However, they must make sure that the place they are in before the diapause is safe for their survival during the time of dormancy. Therefore, they must hide in places like cracks and crevices as they look for a warm location.
The following are places in your home where stink bugs could nest during winter:
- Inside the furniture: Stink bugs can harbor during winter in chairs and sofas. For this, you need to check the underside of the furniture that is standing on the floor, under carpets, or in fitted sheets. You can see if there are droppings or spots where there are chew holes that appear irregularly.
- Inside doors and windows: Stink bugs may enter houses from external openings of doors and windows because of high temperatures and too much light inside. As a result, they can be found hiding in cracks and crevices, as well as inside door and window frames.
- Inside walls and ceiling voids: Stink bugs enter homes in the wintertime and can be found under caulking, under floors, but also in pipes, walls, or ceiling voids. There are also some spots where they may have crawled inside the ventilation system to find a safe and warm nesting place.
These pests can also enter homes through cracks that are found in walls. Check behind the wall if there is any damage around the edges of the wall where it meets the foundations or shelves.
Are Stink Bugs Dangerous When They Live In Your House?
Stink bugs are not dangerous creatures. Unlike the average stink bug in warm weather, during the winter they are usually inactive and do not sting or bite. Besides, they do not transmit pathogens or bacteria, therefore, they are harmless.
They may appear creepy because of their size and appearance, but they should not be feared as they don’t cause bites or stings. Just remember not to squish them or touch them directly as they release awful-smelling liquid when they are disturbed or feel threatened. However, if you find one inside your home during winter, you can simply consider them a nuisance insect.
What To Do If You See Stink Bugs In The House?
Stink bugs can be found in and around homes at different times of the year, especially in winter when they like to hide in many different places.
The following are tips on what to do when you notice stink bugs and ways of eliminating them:
- Keep your home clean and dispose of any food waste on time.
- Remove the clutter around the house.
- Spray pest repellent to keep them away from your house and as soon as you detect them indoors.
- Use glue traps or sticky posters to trap them outside your windows and doors.
- Seal the cracks and crevices where they may enter your home to prevent them from coming back. If you see them coming in, seal up the places where they are entering so that you can eliminate them effectively from your home.
If you are having problems with stink bugs in your Athens home in the fall or winter, and don’t know what to do, don’t worry! The team at American Pest Control are professional pest control and removal exterminators in Athens, GA. They provide the best quality service to help with your pest infestation problem. So call today to learn more about our residential and commercial pest control services in Athens and let the experts take action!
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