For the most part, when you see an unwanted insect crawling across your floor, up the wall, or along a countertop, your first instinct is to squish it or scoop it up to get rid of it. However, if you’ve ever come in contact with a stinkbug, then this is definitely not your best option. In fact, it’s the opposite of what you should do. As Dan Bradbury — vice president of Viking Pest Control in the New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania areas — explains, when these particular bugs are squished, threatened, or moved around in order to be removed from the home, they release an odor that is reportedly so foul and long-lasting that you may have to leave the room until you can properly air it out.
Instead of trying to remove the bugs yourself, Bradbury says that it is best to try to identify the pest, call a professional pest control company for extermination, and then take the appropriate steps to prevent the bugs from returning. Here, he explains how all of this can be successfully accomplished.
What do stinkbugs look like?
Stinkbugs are dark brown in color and may have a few spots on their backs. The most recognizable trait of the pest, he says, is that they look like walking armor shields.
Can these pests fly?
According to Bradbury, stinkbugs main mode of transportation is crawling, but they can fly as well. They will not fly around your house the way that a bee would, he adds. It will look more like a flutter because these bugs are slow.
How long have stinkbugs been a problem?
Stinkbugs are relatively new to America, and for the most part, they are located in the northeast region of the country. It is estimated that they arrived from Asia or Africa sometime around the year 2000 on imported materials and have been spreading ever since.
When are the pests most likely to appear?
Stinkbug adults emerge from overwintering (hiding out for the winter season) sometime between May and the beginning of June, Bradbury says. At this time, they will begin to mate and lay their eggs, until about the beginning of August. When the eggs hatch, usually just a few weeks after being laid, they are small nymphs that go through five molts during July and August, he explains. Once their molting is completed, the new stinkbugs emerge as adults sometime in mid August or early September. Studies of the insects have shown that they begin their flights in search of new overwintering sites in mid September, and their flight patterns peak in October. Because of these hatching and migrating patterns, you are most likely to find stinkbugs in your home from August through November.
Where will you find stinkbugs in your home?
Typically, says Bradbury, stinkbugs are attracted to light so you will probably find them in and around windowsills, or near lamps or light fixtures. You will also occasionally find them near food sources such as pet food and fruit that has been left out, areas where water collects such as a basement, and in dark corners. Like bed bugs, stinkbugs are no strangers to traveling from home to home and can latch on to beds and couches that are moving from one apartment or home to another.
What should you do if you find stinkbugs?
It’s probably best that you don’t try to resolve the problem on your own so that you don’t risk having the bugs releasing their awful odor. If you have only seen one or two in your area, then instead of stepping on or squishing the bug, try to get it to walk onto a piece of newspaper or cardboard and then put it outside as quickly as possible.
For a more aggressive infestation, Bradbury says that you will want to call a professional company who is experienced in stinkbug removal and who will inspect your home and treat the correct areas (usually around windows and sliding doors). That way, when Viking or a similar company in your area is called to the job, you won’t risk upsetting the bugs and having your home smell for the next few days.
Can stinkbugs be prevented?
According to Bradbury, Viking Pest Control has a specific process for preventing the bugs from returning. Generally, he says, the team will return to the home to once in the spring for treatment, and twice in the late summer and early fall for more treatments, since this is the time when stinkbugs are going to mate and reemerge.
