Stink bug control is a major concern for anyone familiar with these little pests.  Control and prevention are the best weapons against stink bugs.

What can we do to win the battle against the stink bugs?

Prevention

A wise man once said that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.  Well an ounce of stink bug prevention is worth a pound of stink bugs in your home!  The most effective way of preventing a stink bug invasion in your home is by keeping stink bugs out!

Windows: Check the seal on all windows and window frames.  Apply caulk on the inside and outside to seal up any spaces.  Check screen windows for holes, and check around the screen for gaps.

Doors: Check all doors for spaces around and underneath the doors.  If there is space between the bottom of the door and the floor, install weather stripping or door sweeps.

Stink bugs can enter your home through the chimney!

Fireplace: Put a screen or cap on the chimney to prevent entry.  Check the flu, and be sure to close the damper when the fireplace is not in use.

Soffits, plumbing, electric outlets, and any other space in your home should be insulated properly.  Use a product like Great Stuff to fill and insulate any gaps that may invite stink bugs into your home.

Outside: Keep your yard clean.  Remove leaves and piles of debris, especially near the foundation of your home.

The good news is that while this may be time consuming, you will also be adding to the insulation and cutting on the drafts in your home.  In practicing sting bug control, you should be able to rid your home of stink bugs and cut down on your energy bill!

Removing Stink Bugs From Your Home

Ok, the prevention information is great, but it’s not helping you with the hundreds of stink bugs already crawling around your house.  So what is the best way to capture and kill a stink bug?

Stink bug control can involve the best stink bug traps, and here are some quick solutions:

Water bottle trap: This method is simple and effective.  Cut the top off of a plastic water bottle, and tape it back on upside-down.  When the stink bug is on a wall or ceiling, simply place the opening on the bottle on the stink bug and it will fall right in the bottom, trapped.

Vacuum Cleaner: The most effective way to get rid of large amounts of stink bugs is to suck them up with a hand held vacuum cleaner.  If you don’t like the idea of tarnishing your household vacuum with stink bug stink, try a dedicated bug sucker like the BugZooka Bug Catcher.

Tissue/Paper Towel: You can easily pick up the stink bugs with a towel or tissue and drop them in the trash.  Wet the tissue first, and the stink bug won’t be able to fly away.  Be sure to crush the bug in the tissue before dropping it in the trash.

Disposing of Stink Bugs

Part of stink bug control is stink bug disposal!

If you have sucked up a bunch of stink bugs into the vacuum, or captured them in a water bottle, what should you do with them now?  Well, there are a couple of options:

Toilet:  Stink bugs can’t swim.  Flushing them down the toilet is the quickest and easiest way to rid yourself of them for good.  The downfall of this is unnecessary  waste of water.

Freezer:  Place the stink bugs in a Zip-lock bag and put it in the freezer.  That will take care of them!  Once they have expired, you can throw them outside in the garden, in the woods or in the compost pile.  They will decompose and add to the soil.

Bucket of Soapy Water: Drop the stink bugs in a bucket of soapy water.  They won’t make it out alive!

Natural Techniques

Natural stink bug control is an effective way to rid your home of stink bugs without involving dangerous chemicals.

Bug eating plants aren’t just in Little Shop of Horrors – they are real, and they will eat stink bugs!  There are a number of bug eating plants which can grow and thrive in the home, and would love to snack on the stink bugs in your home!  Plants like the pitcher plant or the venus fly trap will help cut down on the number of stink bugs invading your house.

For controlling the stink bugs outside and around your home, try introducing praying mantis to the area.  Praying mantis are one of the only predators that will actively feed on the stink bugs outside your home.  They won’t harm your plants, and they are thought to bring good luck as well!

Read more about natural techniques for fighting stink bugs, and see where to find the tools to help you.