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How To Get Rid Of Stink Bugs
Stink bugs as the name suggests have very unpleasant smells therefore it becomes immensely important to know how to get rid of stink bugs. Some insects like stink bugs and roaches are some of the most unpleasant harbingers of the spring season.
At some point, these stink bugs along with fruit flies and gnats will enter your garden to trouble you, this makes it important that you should already be aware of how to get rid of stink bugs and other insects.
The type of stink bugs we usually see and encounter in our surroundings are brown marmorated stink bugs (BMSB), which were introduced in North America in the mid-1990s. They came from Asia and are not harmful to human beings unless they cause irritation due to their smell while they roam freely.
Before we learn how to get rid of stink bugs and discuss different ways, there are some important things you need to know, let’s see what are these.
Why Stink Bugs Come Near Your Property
It might seem to you that these pests come to your area out of nowhere but it is not so, their presence in your house can be because of a lot of things and factors that attract stink bugs.
Stink bugs love fruits especially the ripened ones. If you love eating fruits and you have fruit bowls full of different types of fruits including bananas that ripen earlier than other fruits, they might be the culprit to attract stink bugs.
For people who own great gardens full of vegetation, there are other varieties of native plants too that can attract the stink bugs towards their garden and ultimately to their house. Plants from ornamental shrubs to weeds and wild vines, all appear enticing to stink bugs.
These tiny bugs are known to snack on all the parts of the plant including the buds, blooms, fruits, and vegetables. They do not even leave nuts when it comes to feeding and buzzing around. We all have some type of flora in our gardens that may act as an attractive ingredient for stink bugs.
Other than enticing food, stink bugs are fond of sunlight and warmth too. Similar to bears, stink bugs also go through a period of hibernation and do not come out in the winter seasons. During winter they tend to hide inside the walls of the house or unoccupied spaces such as attics. When the temperature rises again and the days start getting warmer due to sunlight, they come back from hiding places.
Stink bugs have the tendency to enter and weasel their ways inside spaces but when it comes to getting out, they are extremely poor and cannot figure out where to go. This causes the small community of stink bugs to get trapped inside the house and roam freely which in turn initiates us.
Smell Of Stink Bugs
Stink bugs belong to a group of family that uses smell as a mechanism to defend themselves from predators. When these tiny insects are squashed or threatened, they release a strongly scented smell or fragrance from their abdomen gland.
To humans, this smell feels the same as herbs and spices such as cilantro, mixed with a smell of chemicals. In other words, by reading this you can figure out that this smell is not at all pleasant to our nose. If you come across any stink bug in your house, do not threaten it or try to squash it because in that way it will release this unpleasant odor, instead try a vacuum cleaner to get it out of your premises.
These stink bugs are usually found sticking to the plants or other sources of food present in your house (mainly ripened fruits). They will not bite or sting, but they will land on you or your clothes leaving that weird and unpleasant smell. They are typically harmless to human beings.
They do exist year-round, but you will more likely encounter them during the seasons of summer and spring. When the temperature changes to the warmer side and days become brighter, that is the time they come out of their hibernation periods.
After learning all the basic information on stink bugs, you need to know how to get rid of stink bugs to avoid that unpleasant odor and their buzzing in your house. Let’s see what are the different measures that could be taken.
How To Get Rid Of Stink Bugs
When stink bugs are present inside your house, they tend to congregate either in tight spaces or on upper floors. This is the reason that you will find them mostly on top of the walls and tucked inside the drapery folds. This is why they mass in attics or crawl spaces above your garages. It is best to deal with them one by one when you are learning how to get rid of stink bugs. Let’s see some measures and methods to opt in order to get rid of them.
1. How To Get Rid Of Stink Bugs Using Essential Oils
This method is like doing two things at a time using a single procedure. Isn’t that amazing. All you have to do is mix 10 drops of mint essential oil along with 16 ounces of water to prepare a mixture. Just spray this mixture all over the windows and your doors or any other entry points in your house. This is a great way to get rid of stink bugs and your house will smell amazing.
2. How To Get Rid Of Stink Bugs Using Neem Oil
Nothing beats natural insecticides like neem. This plant-based insecticide works great but it takes some time to work efficiently. It will work against the stink bugs’ instinctual behavior and help you get rid of them. You have to combine two tbsp of neem oil along with 32 ounces of water in order to prepare a spray. After your stay is ready, just pour to or spray it on the entry points of stink bugs wherever you find one.
If you do not know from where they enter, just increase the quantity and spray it all over the windows and doors of your house.
3. Spreading Diatomaceous Earth
This is another great way to deal with stink bugs and learn how to get rid of them easily. This is an earth-friendly pesticide powder that is made up of natural rocks and can be placed on the entryways of your house like windows and doors or vents. This works very well by breaking the exoskeletons of stink bugs once they try to enter your house. Once the exoskeleton (protective layer) is broken, the stink bugs will ultimately die due to dehydration.
4. How To Get Rid Of Stink Bugs Using Garlic Spray
Home-made or natural solutions are great to be used in getting rid of harmless insects like stink bugs and fruit flies. You have to combine 4 teaspoons of garlic powder from any brand with 2 cups of water. You can also replace the garlic powder using a handful of garlic cloves while making this spray. Just spray this solution of entryways of your house and see how amazing it works.
5. How To Get Rid Of Stink Bugs Using A Vacuum Cleaner
When the infestation and number of stink bugs active inside the house become too bad, some homeowners go for purchasing a small shop vac dedicated to using for stink bugs. However, it is not important to invest in such things, you can simply use the vacuum cleaner. You just have to follow few tips to proceed with caution. This method is only useful if your vacuum cleaner has attached bags to it. As soon as all the stink bugs are collected inside of it, just throw the bag outside immediately.
6. How To Get Rid Of Stink Bugs Using Soapy Water
The natural reaction a sting bug gives when it perceives a threat of any kind is dropping straight down. Let’s see how to get rid of stink bugs using soapy water as an agent. Take any wide mouth jar available in your house and fill it with water and a little bit of soap and mix it thoroughly to create a solution of soapy water. If you wish to make it even more effective you may also add some vinegar.
Place it where the number of stink bugs is too much and then try to threaten them, their natural instincts will make them fall down to the ground. In this way, they will drown in this soapy water and vinegar liquid. You may also combine dish soap along with equal parts of hot water to spray on windows and doors to block the entry of more stink bugs.
7. How To Get Rid Of Stink Bugs By Setting Fly Taps At The Entryways
This might not appear the prettiest and easiest method for you, but this can be used to catch stink bugs. How do we do this? You just have to look for gaps between the walls near your windows and doors. Stick fly taps and spread them near to the open spaces. This will catch the critters.
8. Safeguarding Your House
You have heard of the famous slang “prevention is better than cure”. This method is pretty much based on this principle. Prevention is basically the key when it comes to combatting stink bugs. You have to caulk all the crevices and cracks near the doors, windows, vents, or any open space in your house. In this way, the bugs will not make their way inside your house.
You can place a fine mesh when it comes to closing vents. In this way, they will be able to do their intended work of ventilation and keep the stink bugs away.
9. How To Get Rid Of Stink Bugs Using Dryer Sheets
The odor of dryer sheets is pretty much offending to stink bugs. This can be a great way to deal with issues related to stink bugs as when you rub dryer sheets on your windows, doors, or any entry points, the bugs are most likely to run away rather than entering inside your house. This makes it an easy way to get rid of stink bugs.
10. How To Get Rid Of Stink Bugs Using Sticky Pads
If you have spotted many high climbing stink bugs in your house, this method will work great to catch them. Get a dry sweep mophead and cover it using stinky lint remover sheets. Use this as a stick to catch the bugs crawling and walking above the surface from the ground. The long stick makes it absolutely perfect to catch bugs.
11. Avoid Using Chemical Insecticides
While you might be tempted to use insecticide as a simple and non-DIY to get rid of stink bugs but it is not entirely right to be used. Some insecticide works great in killing the stink bugs while some only make them unconscious for a time period and then they again rise from the dead. Also, if you kill them, their bodies will tempt other insects to enter your house. Keep this as the last option to go for.
These were 11 ways you can easily use to get rid of unpleasant stink bugs. Learn how to get rid of chipmunks using these tips and measures.
