Stink Bugs

[GJGAR]

I was in Virginia in September of 2012 and we were drowning in stink bugs. It took us a year to get them out. We are from Canada and have not seen them here (yet).
I haven't been back since because of our experience. Are they still as bad as in 2012?
Is there a particular time of year when they are better or worse?
We would like to go back but we have these terrible memories. Any advice?

[Hokiehall]

They are worse(at least here) in spring and fall although I throw a few out of the house in the winter to freeze to death. In spring and fall I put about a gallon of water in one of my shop vacs and suck up as many as I can, usually one or two hundred a day. And that is just the tip of the iceberg.

[tegu69]

GJGAR wrote:
tegu69: What treatments did yo do?

We used Terro stink bug killer. For the ones easy to get to, crawling on walls etc, we kept a roll of duct tape handy and made them a nice cocoon, before tossing them in trash.

[NEnative]

Oh I forgot to add that my friend said that for every stink bug you see in your homes living space there will be at least 50in the upper portion of the walls an ceiling.

[schlep1967]

NEnative wrote:
Maybe, hopefully by now a natural predator to them has been discovered.

Our locals are starting to adapt to them. I watched a Preying Mantis eat 3 of them one day on my window screen. Another time I threw one out the screen door onto the deck, it laid there for a couple of seconds before a bird flew down and gulped it down.

[NEnative]

A friend of mine owns a small independent pest removal company. If I remember correctly back in 2011 he told me to expect to see stink bugs inside our home in the coming years.


A friend of mine owns a small independent pest removal company. If I remember correctly back in 2011 he told me to expect to see stink bugs inside my home in the coming years. He said they came into the country from China inside a shipping container around Allentown PA. Said they had no natural predators so they are multiplying at an incredible pace. He said in our area (Southern New Jersey) expect to see them in September or October in the house and they will tend to be near the ceiling and more often on the second floor because they are seeking warmth to survive the winter. When spring comes they will leave and go outdoors and survive outside sucking the sap/juices from plants. Sure enough three years later our local news services started reporting everything he told me. Maybe, hopefully by now a natural predator to them has been discovered.

[schlep1967]

2012 was the worst here in PA. We have the added disadvantage of owning a grey 5th wheel. It seems to attract them.
The fall does seem to be the worst for them. I think it has to do with the cutting of the corn (and maybe other crops). The things like tight spaces and the leaves on the corn stalks provide that. They start picking corn and everybody is looking for a new home.
We brought a dehydrator in from the garage to use last week. As I took it out of the box I had to round up the 2 stink bugs that came in with it.

[Dennis12]

Roy Moore,
Stink bug in your hair, Try one in your mashed potatoes. You won't like it

[cmcdar]

Last year we had them pretty bad. We had them in our camper AND in our home.

The trick was KILLING (invasive species) them without getting stink on you.

Note: We do not use pesticides because of pets.

Well, this year I am armed and ready - http://www.bugzooka.com

This even fun to use. It sucks the bug quickly into a small chamber and you can either "eliminate" or set the bug free at your choice of location.

I am currently spending the winter in Florida and I came prepared this year. Only thing is we have only seen two or three stink bugs and they were outside. DARN.

[GJGAR]

tegu69: What treatments did yo do?

[tegu69]

We camped in northern N.Carolina in 2015 (fall) with our fw and got them. Did the treatments, sprays and such and we stopped finding any. We decided to change to a MH a few months ago and we bought from private seller. All clothes were washed before transfer and everything else was closely checked just to be sure we didn't move any to the new (to us) coach. We closely check the fw for any before we sold it. All good, then we have found 4 or 5 in the new coach in the last month or so. Don't know if we moved them, or they were with the new coach.

[Lynnmor]

GJGAR wrote:
Thank everyone for your input. Is it fair to say that the severity from year to year is highly variable, but September seems to be the worst time?

As cold weather approaches, they are looking for a winter home. They are out there year round but are not much of a bother till they want indoors. Yes, the population does vary quite a bit, my guess is its worse when they first invade a new area and their natural predators haven't increased in number. Here in PA, the number went from unbelievable to just a few over the last five years.

[GJGAR]

Thank everyone for your input. Is it fair to say that the severity from year to year is highly variable, but September seems to be the worst time?

[352]

Bad Bad and Bad. Opened my mouth last night and four flew out

[tegu69]

And if you make it through the hoards of stink bugs and head to Florida, then you have the love bugs that totally cover your rv.