Chilly Stink Bugs – from Tri-County Pest Control
November is finally here! The month of no shaving, Thanksgiving, and watching unbelievably-early holiday commercials on TV is finally upon us. While the clocks have been pushed back, there is no time to waste for the stink bug, who will feverishly be seeking shelter from the oncoming cold this month. This week, we’re here to tell you a little bit about the stink bug, and how to stop these smelly critters from getting into your home.
Stink bugs are native to Asia, but have been brought over to the United States, and since have become nothing short of a pest. These types of bugs are called invasive pests, in that they are so new to the ecosystem that they have no natural predators yet. If left unattended, they will wreck havoc on crops, vegetation, and your home.
These critters are generally brown, and shaped like a shield, while their name is derived from the smelly odor they produce when threatened. Needless to say, this pungent odor will not be very welcoming to any family members or guests you have in your home. When the weather gets colder, they will frantically try to find shelter, as stink bugs cannot survive the cold. They’ll shimmy their way into the slightest cracks into your house, and will most likely reside inside walls, in attics, or in crawlspaces, where they’ll stay until the warm weather comes. Once they feel warmth (either on a warm winter day or the beginning of spring), the stink bug will become active again, and try to get outside. This is where they prove to a nuisance for homeowners.
To quell the stink bug invasion in the coming weeks, make sure that all entrances into your home are sealed, either with caulk or screens. If they’re not, put those on right away. However, if you notice a few stink bugs in your home already, a quick vacuum will take care of them. Do not squash them, as they’ll release their odor into the open, which can last for up to several days. On the other hand, you seem to find yourself playing the host to a colony of stink bugs, give us a call, and we’ll take them out, and keep them out.
Holiday commercials that are a month early are annoying, but not as annoying as stink bugs. Don’t give them a chance to ruin your Thanksgiving, give Tri-County Pest Control a call right away!