Stink bugs can seem harmless enough, but it can be extremely annoying to get rid of these smelly little creatures once they’re in your home. If you’re looking for information on how to get rid of stink bugs, you can start by making a stink bug trap, using garlic spray, using soap and water, using a bagged vacuum cleaner, using diatomaceous earth, or even using hairspray. However, there’s a lot more to learn about getting rid of these common house bugs. Keep reading to find out what stink bugs are, what attracts them, how to prevent them, and how to remove them for good.
If you prefer to hire a professional exterminator instead of trying DIY pest control methods, you can get estimates from two of our preferred pest control providers below.
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What Are Stink Bugs?
When most homeowners in the United States think about a stink bug, they picture a brown marmorated stink bug. These annoying insects are best identified by their shield-shaped bodies and their gray-brown color scheme, which help them blend in with their environment and avoid predators. Larvae of stink bugs resemble small, round pellets and are usually green in color. While older stink bugs may have a coloring that looks like tree bark, younger nymphs might have variations in coloration, including spots of red and orange.
According to the University of Kentucky Department of Entomology, stink bugs are native to Japan, South Korea, China, and other countries in Asia. However, they came to the United States in Pennsylvania during the 1990s. These pests were technically an invasive species, and since stink bugs had no natural predators in North America, these pests reproduced and spread throughout the country very quickly. Today, you can find stink bugs in most parts of the continental United States, especially during the summer and fall seasons.
Even though stink bugs aren’t dangerous, they are unpleasant to have in your home because they produce an odorous defensive chemical when they feel threatened. While this defense mechanism helps keep the bug from being eaten by birds and lizards, handling or squishing the bug may also release the stinky odor.
How Do Stink Bugs Get into My Home?
Brown marmorated stink bugs use a variety of entryways to invade your home, mostly during summer and early fall. Attics, crawl spaces, and common entrances like doors and windows are some of the main ways that stink bugs can get into your home. While not as destructive as termites or as dangerous as wasps, stink bugs can become a smelly nuisance in your home, especially if you allow populations to reach an infestation level.
What Attracts Stink Bugs?
Stink bugs are attracted to many things, including the following:
- Warmth
- Shelter
- Light
- Plants
- Fruits
- Vegetables
Stink bugs will seek out shelter and warmth during the colder months, making your home a perfect place to hide away. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), stink bugs are also attracted to light, so if you have a well-lit home, it’s a beacon for stink bugs. Stink bugs also seek out feed, mainly fruits, vegetables, nuts, flowers, and certain ornamental plants. If you keep plants inside your home or have a home garden outside, keep an eye out for stink bug invaders.
Six Ways To Get Rid of Stink Bugs
Are you finding lots of stink bugs in your home? While these annoying critters can be a big nuisance, there are a number of home remedies you can try. Consider using one or more of the following remedies to get rid of the stink bugs in your home.
Method 1: Make a Stink Bug Trap
While you can pick individual stink bugs out of your doorways and window sills, an infestation can make it tough to get rid of each one by hand. Making a few stink bug traps can get rid of much of the heavy lifting that comes with getting stink bugs out of your house. To create a stink bug trap, you’ll need the following supplies:
- A two-liter bottle (a clean, empty soda bottle works perfectly)
- A loose razor blade or X-acto knife
- LED light
- Black tape
- Electrical tape
- A long, thin object (like a pencil)
Use your razor blade or knife to cut off the top third of the bottle, including the lid and neck. Set this part of the bottle aside, as you’ll need to use it later. Wrap the bottom of the bottle with black tape to stabilize it, and set your LED light inside of the bottle. This will attract stink bugs through the night. Take the bottle’s top, flip it over, and reattach it to the bottle using the masking tape to create a funnel. Finally, put strips of masking tape on the side of the bottle in strips.
Stink bugs who are attracted to the light will enter the bottle but will not be able to exit because they cannot climb up the sides of the slippery bottle. The masking tape on the exterior of the bottle provides traction that the stink bugs can use to climb the bottle, becoming trapped in the funnel. If you need to turn the LED light on before going to bed, do so using a pencil. In the morning, you’ll be able to dump the collected stink bugs outside, eliminating these pests without the use of insecticides or unnatural repellants.
Method 2: Use Garlic Spray
If you don’t mind the smell of garlic, you can ward off stink bugs from your property with a DIY garlic spray. Grab a spray bottle and chop up a few cloves of garlic. Add warm water to the spray bottle and mix the minced garlic into the water to finish your natural stink bug repellant.
Spray the garlic mixture in areas where stink bugs are likely to enter your home. Garages, doorways, and windowsills are excellent places to start. This method of stink bug removal can be especially useful if you have crevices in your home that you haven’t used caulk on yet, as the scent permeates the perimeter of your home. While you can use this on everything from furniture to clothing, most people only use the garlic mixture on the exterior of their home to prevent the overwhelming scent from taking over their property.
Method 3: Use a Soap and Water Mixture
You can also keep stink bugs away from your property without the use of garlic or pesticides with a simple soapy water mixture. Simply fill a spray bottle with three parts warm water and one part liquid dish soap or mild detergent. You can spray this mixture directly on the stink bugs, or you can use it to coat the exterior of your property. Be sure to avoid using a detergent with bleach so you don’t accidentally damage your home or belongings.
Method 4: Use a Bagged Vacuum Cleaner
If you’ve done a good job of insulating your home, there may only be a few spaces in your home where stink bugs congregate. In this circumstance, it can be easy to expel stink bugs from your house by sucking them up with a vacuum. If the stink bugs are entering through a window, consider investing in a cordless vacuum to suck up stink bugs in just a few minutes.
If you decide to use a vacuum cleaner to control stink bug populations, be sure to choose a model with an interior bag. When stink bugs feel threatened or are sucked up by your vacuum cleaner, they will release their odorous pheromone scent, which will linger in a bagless vacuum. However, if you have a vacuum with a bag, you can throw the stink bugs away right after vacuuming, and the smell won’t continue to contaminate your home.
Method 5: Try Diatomaceous Earth
Diatomaceous earth (DE) is a type of sedimentary rock sold in powder form that includes a variety of substances that act as natural pesticides. The DE powder contains traces of elements like aluminum and silicon and is harmless to humans, but it breaks down the exoskeletons of insects like silverfish, roaches, and stink bugs. This acts as a form of lethal dehydration, quickly killing the insects invading your home.
You can find DE powder in feed stores, hardware stores, and online home improvement retailers. To use diatomaceous earth, sprinkle the powder around areas where you notice insects entering your property. If you see individual insects, you can also sprinkle the DE powder directly on them.
Method 6: Use Hairspray
Hairspray will not kill stink bugs, and you shouldn’t consider replacing your insect repellant with a can of it. However, the chemicals in hairspray do have the power to immobilize and paralyze stink bugs, which prevents them from releasing their odor. After spraying the bugs directly, you can pick them up and move them outside before the chemicals in the hairspray wear off. While hairspray is not a permanent remedy to a house full of stink bugs, it can be a quick fix if you have a few pests in your home.
How to Know You Have a Stink Bug Infestation
While you’re likely to smell a stink bug infestation before you can see it, knowing the signs of a growing stink bug community can help you stop these pests before they become a bigger problem. Here are a few of the most common telltale symptoms that indicate you might have more stink bugs in your home than you think.
Smell Around for Odors
Stink bugs have their name for a reason — most people find the pungent, cilantro-like odor of these pests’ defensive chemicals to be very unpleasant. The most effective way to know if you have a stink bug problem in your home is to follow your nose and sniff around any dark, warm place in your home where the bugs might be congregating. While you’re unlikely to notice a long-lasting stench if you only have a few stink bugs in your home, a persistent odor typically means that there is a latent group of stink bugs hiding in your home.
Look For Bodies
Another easy way to identify a potential stink bug problem in your home is to take notice of areas in your home that happen to attract stink bugs. Well-known entry points to your home (like your doorway or window screens) might have live stink bugs crawling around them, but pay attention to any dead stink bugs you find in your home. Even if you don’t see pests crawling around, the presence of dead stink bugs scattered throughout your house might mean that there is an entry point you’re not seeing.
Investigate Damage to Plants
Stink bugs are known as crop pests, which means that they feed on the fruits and vegetables that humans grow and consume. If you notice any other signs of a stink bug infestation in your home, you should be especially vigilant when searching your houseplants for damage. When stink bugs feed from a houseplant, they usually suck the sap from the leaves, which results in marring and eventually the leaf turning brown. If you notice a sudden influx of drooping, dead leaves on your houseplants, stink bugs might be the culprit.
You’ll also want to take a look around your kitchen for signs of stink bug damage. Stink bugs are known to feed on almost every type of fruit or vegetable, so if you have a fruit bowl on your counter or table, check its content for bite marks. Stink bugs generally like to eat grass and weeds, but they also eat corn, grains, and fresh produce.
How To Prevent Stink Bugs
A stink bug infestation can be a major hassle to deal with — which is why it’s usually easier to prevent these pests from entering your property in the first place. During the day, most stink bugs will stay outside your home. But as the sun starts to set and the night gets cold, stink bugs might enter your property looking for somewhere warm to rest. Use these tips and tricks to keep pests outside.
- Caulk off tight spaces in your home: Despite their size, stink bugs can get into your home by squeezing through spaces as small as 1/6th of an inch wide. Searching your home for small gaps and cracks where stink bugs could be entering your property and sealing them is the best step that you can take to keep these pests out of your home. Use a caulking tool with latex or silicone latex, as these materials dry clear and help hide any mistakes you make during application.
While searching your home for small crevices can feel like an annoying task, there are areas in your home where stink bugs are more likely to enter than others. Note which side of your home faces the setting sun. Sunset is when stink bugs will begin looking for a warm place to take shelter, which might include cracks in your home’s siding or foundation. Make sure all of your window screens fit tightly and do not leave any cracks for bugs to sneak through. Finally, consider installing door sweeps under your doorways to prevent bugs from coming inside when you do.
- Try essential oils or neem oil: If you’re looking for a more natural way to repel stink bugs, apply a mixture of essential oils and water to major entry points in your home. Essential oils like clove, lemongrass, spearmint, and ylang-ylang are exceptionally effective at repelling stink bugs. Neem oil is also an effective treatment for many pest problems. However, keep in mind that essential oils diffuse rather quickly, which means that you’ll need to reapply them every few hours to maintain an effective barrier.
- Avoid pesticides: If you’re like most homeowners, your first thought is probably to start spraying pesticides around the exterior of your home. While this might work with other pests, stink bugs’ shells make them particularly hardy and resistant to pesticides and chemicals. If you have a serious infestation and home remedies just aren’t working, we recommend contacting a professional pest control company. These professionals have commercial-grade treatment options that will eradicate the pests in your home safely and efficiently.
Final Thoughts on How To Get Rid of Stink Bugs
As tough as it may be to get rid of stink bugs, you don’t have to be an entomologist to handle it yourself. It may take some time, but if you use the methods I listed above, there’s a good chance you can finally kick these pests to the curb. However, if you try everything above and you still have a stink bug infestation, it’s time to call in the big guns. Hiring a professional pest control service may seem daunting, but it’s a safer and healthier option for your home. Get a free estimate from some of our top recommended pest control providers below.
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Hiring a Pest Control Company
If you’ve tried home remedies and nothing seems to be getting the stink bugs out of your home, you might want to consider bringing in a professional pest control company. Professional exterminators have access to enhanced tools as well as the training and experience needed to create a comprehensive plan to tackle even the toughest infestations. If you’ve tried our tested methods and you still have stink bugs in your home, don’t continue to pour harsh chemicals or pesticides on them — call in the experts for a safer and healthier fix.
Professional pest control might even be more affordable and accessible than you think, so I highly recommend considering them for your home. Read on below to learn more about our favorite pest control companies and get an estimate for your home.
This site receives compensation from the companies featured in this listing, which may impact where and how products appear. This listing doesn’t feature all companies, products, or offers that may be available.
Best Pest Control Companies
Unfortunately, not every pest control company is equally as prepared to handle insects as resilient as stink bugs. At Today’s Homeowner, we understand that you don’t want to allow just anyone into your home — which is why we’ve reviewed dozens of nationwide pest elimination companies to find the best ones.
Terminix
Terminix is one of the largest pest control companies in the United States, and they tackle much more than just termite infestations. If you have an ongoing problem with stink bugs, you might want to consider investing in Terminix’s quarterly pest control program. This plan gives you continuous exterior treatments throughout the year, which can be ideal if stink bugs aren’t the only pests invading your home.
With Terminix, your results are guaranteed for ongoing pest control plans. If the pests return after Terminix removes them, they will return and correct the problem so long as you still have your plan, which is a big perk.
This site receives compensation from the companies featured in this listing, which may impact where and how products appear. This listing doesn’t feature all companies, products, or offers that may be available.
Orkin
Another heavy hitter in pest control services, Orkin has been in business for more than 120 years, making them a household name. With both single treatments and continuous protection plans available, Orkin gives you plenty of options to get rid of stink bugs.
It’s worth noting that Orkin professionals undergo more than 160 hours of training before they visit your property, so you’ll get the highest quality extermination services available. Orkin also has more than 400 locations around the world, meaning that you’ll be able to find service almost anywhere.
This site receives compensation from the companies featured in this listing, which may impact where and how products appear. This listing doesn’t feature all companies, products, or offers that may be available.
FAQs About Getting Rid of Stink Bugs
Light and reflective surfaces are the two primary things that attract stink bugs to a home. Stink bugs tend to invade homes in the fall and later summer seasons when looking for a warm place to overwinter and lay eggs. You can prevent stink bugs from entering your property by sealing all cracks in the exterior of your home and by removing food sources (like open garbage cans) from your property.
While they’re not the most effective method for getting rid of stink bugs, you can repel these pests temporarily using dryer sheets. Place the dryer sheets near entry points of your home where stink bugs can get into your property. To enhance this method’s effectiveness, consider spraying your dryer sheets with essential oils like cloves or ylang ylang that further repel stink bugs.
Stink bugs get cold at night, which means that they gravitate toward warm places and sources of light. You can often see stink bugs huddling near porch lights and window sills, which they then use to get inside your home. This is part of the reason why sealing crevices in the exterior of your home is an important step to keep stink bugs out.
If you’re afraid of stink bugs, you’ll be relieved to know that these pests don’t bite humans. Stink bugs do not bite humans or pets, and they are not currently a known carrier or vector of any major disease. However, some people are sensitive to the compound that stink bugs release when they feel threatened, which may give you symptoms like watery eyes and a runny nose.
While it’s not a very effective way to repel stink bugs, some plants can potentially help keep them away. Plants like mint, lavender, citronella grass, and geraniums all produce strong scents that can help repel stink bugs if you plant them near doorways or windowsills.
