CIRCLEVILLE – fall is in the air, and stink bugs are invading what can you do from keeping this weird insect out of your home.
Have you seen these diamond-shaped insects? They are everywhere this time of year, the question is what do you do? The brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys, an invasive species from Asia is surprisingly new to the area. It invaded the United States in 1998 and was found in Ohio in 2007. The illegal immigration was from produce cargo, and imports and now the little bugs have slowly been working their way across the United States.
This spear-shaped insect feeds on food crops and ornamental flowers, found on soybeans and corn the stink bugs stay away until the fall season. When farmers start harvesting crops, these bugs start invading homes though cracks and crevices looking for a warm place to live for the winter.
The brown little bugs do not bite and are more of an annoyance trying to find a way inside your home by any means possible. The bugs are looking for warm spots to live through the winter.
The question is how do you prevent these little bugs from invasion? Squish them and you’ll find out quickly why they are labeled as stink bugs, one of these insect’s defenses is a putrid smell when attacked. Bug sprays are not very effective either and don’t directly vacuum them up with your sweeper or you can make the whole house smell like a stink bug.
Prevention is the only way, checking doors seals and window screens for cracks and crevices that allow them in. Check your roof vents and caulk areas around dryer vents.
When you find them in your home, pick them up and toss them outside or use a sock over the end of your vacuum and suck them into the sock then put them outside. This will prevent these little invaders to not spend the winter with you.
A video I posted in 2018 works great for killing them around the house: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?ref=search&v=1662308327231910&external_log_id=f3229779-d23c-4541-9da4-404b31b9d7ba&q=stink%20bug%20be%20gone
