These are all up in my house with disease. HELP NEEDED!!

[LibraLiz1973]

Anyone know how to really kill these bastards??


Stink bugs........

http://www.ento.psu.edu/extension/factsheets/brownMarmoratedstinkbug.htm

[mike_c]

1. what is the source...?

Where do you live (general area of the country)? I'm interested in why your house is being filled-- I'm presuming one of two reasons: either a large aggregation overwintered in a sheltered place in the structure, but has become active as temps warm and have moved into the living space, or you're seeing new adults from this year entering your house from foliage outside. The latter is unlikely if it's still cold in your location-- essentially it's unlikely if its not effectively late spring or early summer temps where your are. I think it's unlikely in any event-- if there are resources outside, there's no reason for more than the occasional bug to wander in every now and then.

Killing them will involve using an insecticide, but if the bugs are coming in from outdoor foliage THAT'S the place to spray them.

If it's an overwintering aggregation you can try letting them out (open the windows during the day). Of course, you can kill any residual bugs in the aggregation site if you can find it-- look on warm, south facing walls for ways into the attic, crawlspace, walls, etc. A vacuum will suck them up handily from indoor surfaces. You could try something like flea bombs-- essentially just synthetic pyrethrin-- but that's so off label I don't really know how effective it is. It will probably kill most or all the bugs that are in your house, but if there are more in the aggregation space they'll likely enter later so you might have to bomb several times.

You can call a professional, licensed exterminator. I'm an entomologist-- NOT an exterminator and have NO pesticide application licensing so take my advice with a grain of salt. However, I can pretty much guarantee you that many operators will happily charge you big bucks to fumigate unnecessarily.

If it is an overwintering aggregation, and you find how they got into the structure, use your caulk gun or some other means to seal the hole. You might also look for how they're getting from there into your living space and seal that, too.

on edit-- you do know they're harmless, right? Well, except maybe they'll leave a nasty, smelly stain if you squash them on the drapes....

[LibraLiz1973]

3. Thanks Mike! Here's the deal...

I live right outside of Philadelphia in the burbs. In the last few years we have been getting a lot of them.
Local exterminators are blunt: they can't really do anything to help.

I know they can't hurt- they are just nasty and disgusting. the smell literally makes me gag.

It's just a pain- I was hoping maybe someone would have an old grama way to kill them.

[Quakerfriend]

5. Hey, neighbor! I'm just outside of Philly, as well and, we've

got them too.

I just vacuum them up.

Funny, they don't seem to release their nasty sent when they get sucked up by the vacuum.

Good Luck to you!

[mike_c]

7. yep, that's an overwintering bunch....

Best course is to seal up holes in the wall that allow them access in the fall. They pass the winter sheltering inside your homes walls, or in the attic, or wherever, then emerge in spring, but since it's still pretty cold outside, especially at night, they emerge INTO your house rather than to the outside. If you can find how they're getting into the living area you can seal that off too. Look for holes or cracks along baseboards, beneath window casements, cabinets or other fittings, etc. Sealing up the outside is probably easier than sealing the inside unless its a relatively new structure.

Good luck!

[ThomCat]

2. Burn the house down and move.

x(

Sorry, I know that doesn't help. Have you spoken to an exterminator?

[LibraLiz1973]

4. lol... I think a lot of my fellow Pennsylvanians dealing with the same

situation have jokingly thought the same thing!! lol

If you had ever smelled one..... It is sooooooooo vile

[vixengrl]

6. Wow, had these back in September & October--

Um, they eventually just got fed up with the conditions* around my house and left--they look *really* disturbing crawling on lace curtains, and since I don't see too well, the first time I saw a few of them pokng about I nearly screamed.



*You know, the squishing and "Raid" spraying. I know there's no stinkbug Raid--but I'm sure they don't think it's health food.