Stink bugs, or brown marmorated stink bugs, are best known for the unpleasant odor they release from the glands near their abdomen when they feel threatened. Aside from the strong smell, stink bugs don’t pose a significant health risk or other damage to households, but infestations are difficult to remove on your own.
Stink bugs are native to Asia but started to invade Pennsylvania and other surrounding areas in the late 1990s. At Seitz Bros., we have over a decade of experience handling stink bugs even though they are one of the more relatively new insects to the area.
How To Identify Stink Bugs
You can’t always rely on your sense of smell to accurately identify stink bugs, but many people describe stink bug odor as an overpowering smell of cilantro. The characteristics of a stink bug include:
- Antennae and six legs
- Triangle or shield body shape
- About ¾ inches in length and width
- Grayish-brown and mottled
- Adults have wings and can fly
Your less likely to spot stink bugs in your home during the warmer months, but once fall arrives and the temperatures drop you will notice an increase of stink bugs. Stink bugs are dormant during the winter months. You’re not likely to see them in your home during the colder weather, but when we experience extreme temperature warm up, you might notice stink bug activity.
Do Stink Bugs Cause Damage?
A stink bug infestation does not cause structural damage to a home, and they are non-biting insects. Their smell is often overwhelming and offensive to some property owners and stink bugs can damage flower beds and gardens.
Getting Rid of Stink Bugs
The most common complaint of a stink bug infestation is that they get into or onto nearly anything. Larger infestations, particularly during their active period, is challenging. Many people vacuum up stink bugs to capture and remove them, but their offensive smell often permeates throughout the house.
There are other products or DIY methods available for stink bug infestations, but they are only temporarily effective. The best time of year to address your stink bug issue is during the late fall and summer months. Any later in the year, and many treatment options are proven more or less ineffective.
Professional pest control treatment is most effective at getting rid of stink bugs, but it’s also essential that you fix cracks, repairing screens, or other entry points for insects.
What to Expect From Seitz Bros.
Our expert pest control technicians never want you to have to handle a pest problem alone. Even though stink bugs don’t pose a threat to your home or health, they are a nuisance that you shouldn’t have to live with season after season.
Call us today for a free quote and we’ll set up an appointment to assess your infestation and determine the best method for removing them from your residence or commercial property.
We strongly recommend that you contact us in late summer or early fall. Even if you don’t see a large number of stink bugs in your home, there is a risk of infestation. Even if we don’t find an infestation in your home, our expert technicians offer advice on how to reduce your chance of a stink bug problem in the future.