Eight or so years ago, a few stink bugs found their way from someplace in their native Asia to Allentown, Pennsylvania. Now they are reproducing like mad and are finding their way into homes in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware and New Jersey. They've also been reported in Oregon.
They are ugly little guys, and they are hard to get rid of. They have no predators here, and if a bird, bat or some other bug-eating creature tries to make a meal out of one, well, they let out a nasty rancid almond smell that is totally unappetizing.
If you have them in your house and you try to swat them, yes, they emit a nasty odor that makes you hesitate to swat their buddies when you meet up.
It's a problem this time of year because they like to come inside to get away from the cold. Once they start nesting in your house, it could get, well, stinky.
The experts do not recommend pesticides until they can figure out what to use and when to use it for effectiveness. So what's a squeamish homeowner to do with these unwelcome visitors? They suggest vacuuming them up (be sure you use a vacuum cleaner with a bag) and take the whole thing outside to empty it out.
You can help keep them outside by going nuts with a caulk gun and putting weatherstripping all over the place - covering cracks that they can crawl through. They also find their ways in through attic vents.
We're seeing some in northern Montgomery County, and I'm hoping they find some way to stop the spread to points south, like my back yard!
Patricia - I have seen these bugs around before and boy do they stink!
Robert, ah! But they'd make a great photo!
Patricia, We have tons of bugs in Texas but I'm happy to say that so far I have met any that stink. I'm hoping they stay up north as we don't need additional bugs. When we first moved here we saw what we thought were huge mosquito's but come to find out they were harmless; they do however eat mosquito's.
Patricia,
We do not have those here on the Oregon Coast, our irritating little pests are the winged termites and the raccoons that arrive during house showings to scare the buyers!
I am curious....what do the stinkbugs actually smell like?
Barbara Le Pine
Newport, Oregon
Hi Pat... I am with Marchel on this one... keep them up north, we have enough insects in The Lone Star State! However, I'll take a bit of snow if you've got some to spare! :)
Pat we have them here----although I don't know anyone making much of a stink about them:) Here is a link that you might find useful regarding dealing with them.
Pat - not sure if we have them here but I sure hope not. I've heard of them and they are nasty smelling buggers. Too bad they don't seem to have any enemies who like to eat them. But who would?
Jeff
They are out in droves in my neck of the woods and we are all hating it. Ugh.... I gently pick them up with a tissue and flush them down the toilet. Good ridance!
They are all over at my neighborhood in PG County. Luckily I haven't seen them inside the house yet.
Never heard of them. How big are they? What a nightmare.
Pat: I think those nasty stink bugs are really awful. I have actually heard that they have acquired a cable channel of their own. It's called Fox News. Have you heard of it ? (LOL) I just hate when that happens.
Pat,
We visited my brother in Great Falls a couple of weeks ago and experienced the stink bugs--they are everywhere!
Pat, Double yuck. They sound awful. I am not a friend to any bug to be honest!
Pat, We get them late Spring and through the Summer and they do stink when they are disturbed...he cats won't even play with them!
OMG Pat! Keep those stinking bugs north of the Mason Dixon will ya? Promise? We got spiders the size of Texas, & mini palmettos, No se-ems which bite like crazy & a back porch pet GeiKo, but aintt got no stinking stink bugs & we like it that way, Yikes! Maybe George the Geiko could take care of them???