Imagine this, you are walking around your home and hear a small crunch. You think you’ve maybe just stepped on a simple pest, a small beetle perhaps. But then, the foul smell fills the room. That’s when you know you’ve stepped on the dreaded stink bug.
If you’ve smelled one of these bugs before you definitely won’t forget their smell. And they aren’t something you want crawling around in your home this fall when you could have many more house guests walking around your home. They are like stinky land mines waiting to go off.
But why do they even hang around your home? And how can you keep stink bugs away? We’ve got all that information for you so you can keep your home free from those smelly pests.
Why Do They Smell?
You hear the word stink bug and assume that they walk around smelling all day long, right? Wrong.
Stink bugs only smell when they feel threatened or unfortunately when you happen to squish one. And most of the time, the first time you get to smell their odor is when you don’t realize what kind of bug you are squishing in your home. So we suggest taking a good look before giving one of these a stomp.
Their smell is there to protect them from predators. Just like a skunk would spray when it would feel threatened by a predator like a wolf or a fox, this is the same idea for a stink bug.
What Attracts Stink Bugs?
You may be wondering, why out of all houses are these bugs deciding to take up residence in mine?! While we are sure your home is amazing, many homes in the area face the same problems when it comes to these pests.
Once the weather starts to turn cooler, stink bugs are going to need somewhere to stay nice and cozy and your home is going to look just perfect to them.
After the weather turns really cool, they want a good place to call home because they will actually hibernate. During this time called diapause, they do not reproduce or eat all until the weather gets warmer.
They are also attracted to bright lights around your home. This is similar to other flying pests like flies or moths. And if they see a light inside your home, they will try to make their way in. So making sure that they can’t get in is going to be very important.
How to Keep Stink Bugs Away
Since the stink bugs are trying to get into your home to get nice and cozy for the winter, you need to make sure that they can’t get in. This means pest-proofing your home.
You will need to seal any way that they could make their way in once they see light or feel the warmth that they are attracted to. You will need to make sure that the tiniest places are sealed around your home. We have a great blog on pest-proofing that can help you prepare your home in no time.
Stink bugs are also going to be attracted to high-moisture areas like most pests. So be sure while doing your pest-proofing that you are checking your home for any leaks or clogged pipes that could attract them.
On top of pest-proofing, you can also make sure that your home is less inviting to stink bugs. Since they are attracted to the lights around your home, try using yellow bulbs on your porches, they won’t want to hang around these as much. Or, you can go a step further and turn off the lights if possible.
Call us for Help
We hope that you never happen upon a stink bug in your home. But if you do find one crawling around, don’t squish them. You can get rid of them by vacuuming them up. This keeps the smell from filling up your entire house.
And if the thought of having these smelly pests around your house is too much to handle, Kapture can help you get rid of them.
No matter what type of pest issues you find yourself with, we are always here to help. We offer free phone consultations to answer any questions you may have.
Contact Kapture for a No-Obligation Phone Consultation and Quote:
Call 1-888-811-5813 or schedule online now to start protecting your home and family today!
