Stink Bugs Want In Your House This Fall, Here’s How To Deal With Them

Fall is here in Michigan and as the daylight gets shorter and the temperatures drops we're not the only ones heading inside to try and stay warm. Invasive stink bugs will be making their way into Michiganders' homes looking for a warm place to survive our cold Michigan winters.

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If you don't want these unwanted house guests to stick around, I've found a few things you can do to make sure they don't take up residence in your home.

Where Are Stink Bugs From?

The brown marmorated stink bug is an insect in the family Pentatomidae, native to China, Japan, Korea, and other Asian regions. In September 1998, it was collected in Allentown, Pennsylvania, where it is believed to have been accidentally introduced.

Why Are Stink Bugs Such A Nuisance?

The brown marmorated stink bug can be a serious agricultural pest and has been observed feeding successfully on numerous fruit, vegetable, and field crops including apples, apricots, Asian pears, cherries, corn (field and sweet), grapes, lima beans, nectarines and peaches, peppers, tomatoes, and soybeans. And when inside your house if they are disturbed or squashed, the stink bugs release an unpleasant odor from scent glands on their abdomen.

How To Keep Stink Bugs From Entering Your House This Fall

EPA.gov offers these suggestions.

• Caulk windows inside and out.

• Weatherstrip entry doors and/or install door sweeps if daylight is visible around the perimeter of the door.

• Rake away all debris and edible vegetation from your home’s foundation to keep from attracting pests.

• Inspect for and seal foundation cracks to block a potential point of entry.

• Secure crawlspace entries.When insulating exposed plumbing pipes around the foundation or the crawlspace of your home, caulk small gaps and fill larger one with steel wool.

• If your home has a fireplace, cap, or screen on the top of the chimney to keep out pests.