As autumn rolls around across New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Maryland, the crisp air and changing leaves bring a familiar seasonal transition. Unfortunately, they also bring an unwelcome fall visitor: the brown marmorated stink bug.
As temperatures begin to drop, these smelly pests search for warm, sheltered places to spend the winter—and your home is top on their list. While stink bugs don’t bite, spread diseases, or cause structural damage, they can quickly turn into a major nuisance inside your living space. When threatened or squished, they release a notoriously foul-smelling chemical defense mechanism that gives them their name.
At Hoffman’s Exterminating, we believe proactive protection is the best way to keep your family comfortable. Here are 10 simple pest-proofing tips you can use right now to keep stink bugs out this fall:
1. Seal Up Entry Points
Inspect the exterior of your home carefully. Pay special attention to openings around siding, utility lines, outdoor pipes, chimneys, and wood fascia. Seal any visible cracks and crevices using high-quality silicone or silicone-latex caulk.
2. Repair Windows, Doors, and Screens
Stink bugs can squeeze through surprisingly small openings. Check all window and door screens for tears or gaps, and repair them promptly. Ensure weather-stripping is intact, adjust loose mortar, and consider installing door sweeps on exterior doors.
3. Turn Off Exterior Lights
Stink bugs are highly attracted to light. Keep outdoor lighting to a minimum during evening hours, pull window blinds closed, and turn off porch lights when they aren’t needed. Swapping outdoor bulbs for yellow, insect-resistant lighting can also significantly reduce their draw.
4. Eliminate Excess Moisture
Like many household pests, stink bugs look for water. Fix leaking outdoor spigots, clear clogged gutters, and fix dripping indoor pipes to eliminate excess moisture around your foundation.
5. Secure Food Sources
Keep pests from being rewarded once inside by keeping kitchen areas clean. Store dry goods in airtight containers, dispose of trash regularly in sealed cans, and sweep up crumbs or spills right away.
6. Ventilate Damp Spaces
Attics, basements, crawlspaces, and garages provide ideal shelter for overwintering pests. Keep these areas well-ventilated, consider running a dehumidifier, and ensure attic vents and chimney flues are covered with fine mesh screening.
7. Inspect Outdoor Belongings Before Bringing Them Inside
Before bringing storage boxes, potted plants, yard decor, or grocery bags inside, inspect them thoroughly. Stink bugs often hitch a ride indoors on items left outside.
8. Practice Proper Landscaping
Trim back overgrown branches and shrubbery so they don’t touch your roof or siding, creating easy bridges to your house. If you burn wood, store firewood at least 20 feet away from the home and elevated five inches off the ground.
9. Don’t Squish Them
When faced with an invading stink bug, resist the urge to crush it. Crushing a stink bug releases the pungent odor from tiny glands on its body, which can linger in your home and even attract more bugs to the area.
10. Vacuum Them Up Safely
If a few stink bugs manage to get inside, use a vacuum cleaner to remove them safely without crushing them. To keep the smell from permeating your vacuum or escaping back into your home, empty the dust canister or discard the vacuum bag immediately outdoors.
Need Professional Stink Bug Relief?
While DIY prevention steps go a long way, severe stink bug invasions often require expert help. Preventive exterior treatments applied before bugs congregate on your siding can stop an infestation before it ever starts.
If stink bugs are taking over your property this season, trust the local experts at Hoffman’s Exterminating. Our family-owned team delivers fast, kid-friendly, and pet-friendly pest solutions tailored to your home. Contact us today to schedule your service or learn about our year-round protection plans!
