Don't be Hospitable: Protect Your Home from Stink Bugs

This fall, you may find some unwelcome visitors coming into your house.

"We've had lots of customers with stink bug problems - big problems too," said Brian Delaney of ProTech Pest Control of Virginia, based in Springfield. "They come in by the hundreds and sometimes even the thousands."

The most common variety in the area are brown marmorated stink bugs, which are an Asian species which first appeared in America in Pennsylvania in the 1990s. The bugs have been moving south ever since.

Delaney said that cooling temperatures are a signal for these bugs to look for a place to stay over winter. One of the only good things about this menace is that while they are a nuisance, stink bugs pose no danger to either people or houses.

"They find crevices and spots to climb in to find a home for the winter time," Delaney said.

As they are hard to get rid of once you have them, work to keep them out of your house from the start. Delaney suggests sealing up any openings, putting up new weather strips, and fixing loose sidings before these bugs have the chance to get in. If you call in professional help, Delaney said they will probably use a microencapsulated pyrethroid, a synythetic chemical chemical that mimics a naturally occurring pesticide that also repels insects. As insects walk across the microscopic gel particles, they will pick it up on their legs and antennae, eliminating the problem.

"Once they're in, there's no use spraying anymore," Delaney said. Experts don't recommend spraying after you have a large colony inside, as the dead bugs could draw out carpet beetles or other insects that can cause harm to the house.

Delaney related the story of a client with a beautiful stone fireplace in a room the family did not use very often. During a Christmas party in the room, they tried to light a fire. Hundreds and thousands of stink bugs flew out among all their guests, right in the middle of the festivities. Delaney said the family now resorts to vacuuming out all the bugs from the crevices, though the smell released by the crushing of the bugs is very unpleasant.