When winter starts to hit with changes in the length of day and level of temperature, stink bugs begin to look for somewhere to ride out the season. The insects typically find somewhere to hole up outdoors, but they also are happy to seek shelter in your home. Stink bugs don’t eat your food, chew on clothing, or bite humans but they can still be unwelcome houseguests.
When a stick bug is disturbed it will release a horrible odor. In the wild, this cause predators to back off. But in your home this smell can linger even after the bug itself is long gone. So how do you keep them out of your home? The following are a few means of stick bug control.
Keep Them Away
You need to ensure there are no entry points for the bugs to make it in. Closing up any cracks can help, but there are other ways to help ensure no bugs come in for a visit.
- Use dryer sheets to rub your screens. For whatever reason, this keeps the stink bugs back.
- Kill a few stink bugs outside near the home. The odor will signal to other bugs to stay away.
- Place a damp towel over your stair railing or a lawn chair overnight. When you wake up, you may find stink bugs on the towel. You can easily get rid of them by placing the towel in a bucket of soapy water.
Clean Them Out
If the bugs have made it into your home, there are other tactics that you should consider.
- Avoid touching them directly.
- If they move slowly, you can catch them and place them outside or flush them down the toilet.
- Use a plastic bag to grab them to avoid direct touch.
- To avoid the smell, flick the bug into an empty bottle. Twist on the lid and place the entire thing outside. In cold climates, the bug will freeze. You can reuse the bottle for more bus.
- Use your vacuum on the bugs and then empty the bag when you are finished. Do not use a bagless vacuum that you use on the home, it will stink after the process.
Get Professional Stink Bug Control
If you’re fed up with stink bugs and need some additional assistance, contact Viking Pest Control. We’d be happy to take care of your influx of pests. Learn more by calling the office at 888-481-8219.
