Stink bugs are now entering Alabama homes—here’s what you can do about it

If you don’t recall seeing one here in Alabama, you have surely smelled one. I’m talking about stink bugs, or as they are technically known, Halyomorpha halys.

For most of the year, encounters with these bugs indoors are not as common. But October and November is a different story. That’s when these shield-shaped bugs come inside to escape the cooler weather. And that poses a problem.

Stink bugs are a nuisance inside and outside

Stink bugs are an invasive species first discovered in the United States in eastern Pennsylvania in 1998. They are native to Asia, and experts believe they came over to North America via agricultural shipping.

In Alabama, stink bugs are listed as both an agricultural and nuisance problem. These bugs can really inflict some damage on an apple, peach or pear orchard. Other crops are at risk from stink bug damage, too.

When the weather turns cool each fall, the bugs look for wintering sites and make their way into houses and buildings. They don’t harm humans, but if they’re squashed or pulled into a vacuum cleaner, they emit an unpleasant odor (and that’s an understatement).

Adult brown marmorated stink bugs can often be found on the outsides of buildings or inside near doors, windows and other entry points. They can also be found in leaf litter and vegetation outdoors. In areas where they are established, they can enter structures by the hundreds or thousands (seriously).

Here’s what you can do about stink bugs

To battle stink bugs already in your home, you may also want to contact a pest control professional. But in a pinch, you can try these methods:

• A vacuum cleaner (however, the vacuum may smell of stink bugs for a while)
• Traps made using a metal pan filled with soapy water and a light source
• Aerosol and fogger type insecticides labeled for use against domestic stink bugs

These tactics will only kill the existing stink bugs in your home. They will not prevent more from entering your home.

Adult brown marmorated stink bugs, like other pests, can enter homes through cracks and crevices. A few simple tips to help keep them from entering homes are:

• Caulk windows inside and out.
• Weather strip entry doors and/or install door sweeps if daylight is visible around the perimeter of the door.
• Rake away all debris and edible vegetation from your home’s foundation to keep from attracting pests.
• Inspect for and seal foundation cracks to block a potential point of entry.
• Secure crawlspace entries.
• When insulating exposed plumbing pipes around the foundation or the crawlspace of your home, caulk small gaps and fill larger ones with steel wool.
• If your home has a fireplace, cap or screen the top of the chimney to keep out pests.
• Contact a pest control professional to treat surrounding vegetation near your home’s foundation, which can harbor large populations of stink bugs, with products registered for residential outdoor uses