Stink bugs!

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NortheastAl

NortheastAl

Minister of Fire
Dec 30, 2012
676
Putnam, NY
It's that time of year when the stink bugs invade us. They stay around till spring inside the house. Just saw two by the front door waiting to get in.

Anyone have them, and/or know how to deal with them?
 
Which stink bugs do you have there Al?
 
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We get them bad every fall - western conifer seed bugs. My wife absolutely hates the things. No way I know of to rid of them completely as they seem to get in through the tiniest of cracks despite their large size.

800px-WesternConiferSeedBug.JPG
 
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Holy chit, these things infuriate me. My previous house was pole barn construction so it was horrible. Hopefully the new house is better.
My wife hears they don't like lavender oil. Surrounding the house with lavender plants is supposed to go a long ways to stopping them.
I wouldn't know. I just know that i have to be careful opening shed doors and whatnot. opened and walked through the basement door one day (before the house was finished), had a bunch fall on me.... I was pretty much stripped naked and shaking out my clothes I'm a matter of seconds...
 
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I try to make sure the doors area's are sealed up very good . get that expandable foam , you can spray in the smallest of cracks and little holes . . makes sure you get the blue can ( window foam )
 
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image.jpg

Backwoods Savage said:
Which stink bugs do you have there Al?
Click to expand...
  • Brown marmorated stink bug
  • Halyomorpha halys, also known as the brown marmorated stink bug, or simply the stink bug, is an insect in the family Pentatomidae, and it is native to Korea and Taiwan. Wikipedia
    Scientific name: Halyomorpha halys


Dennis, this is the bad boy. Nasty things.
 
bmblank said:
Holy chit, these things infuriate me. My previous house was pole barn construction so it was horrible. Hopefully the new house is better.
My wife hears they don't like lavender oil. Surrounding the house with lavender plants is supposed to go a long ways to stopping them.
I wouldn't know. I just know that i have to be careful opening shed doors and whatnot. opened and walked through the basement door one day (before the house was finished), had a bunch fall on me.... I was pretty much stripped naked and shaking out my clothes I'm a matter of seconds...
Click to expand...
This year they are worse than ever before. I saw the infants crawling all over a leaf last week in the town next to us. I'm going to investigate lavender. We started using these Balsam oil tea bag type things and peppermint oil to keep the field mice out. Last year the mice drove us crazy. Tried traps, sonic electronic things and poison. Now, we use all of that plus the essential oils. We will see how that works when it gets cold.
 
JOHN BOY said:
I try to make sure the doors area's are sealed up very good . get that expandable foam , you can spray in the smallest of cracks and little holes . . makes sure you get the blue can ( window foam )
Click to expand...
I have to check again this year. The damn things are waiting just outside the door, like they know it is going to open.
 
You've got two different critters there. jharkin's is the one we get. Al's is a different species. Both are home invaders though.
 
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I've got the big horse faced space dogs. I also liveon 10 acres of planted red pine, do there's probably a correlation between pine and those bastar....
 
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jharkin said:
We get them bad every fall - western conifer seed bugs. My wife absolutely hates the things. No way I know of to rid of them completely as they seem to get in through the tiniest of cracks despite their large size.

800px-WesternConiferSeedBug.JPG
Click to expand...
I believe that's a leaf footed bug.
 
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To me it's a horse faced space dog...
 
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They seem to be very temperature sensitive. I wait for cool evenings, when they dissappear(they go into my attic) then I bomb the attic. Its a slaughter house up there. Carcasses every where.
 
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Okay, I went to our local Agway this morning and got some of their branded spray that has a "Kills Stinkbugs" sticker on it. I just finished spraying the foundation and up about three feet on the foundation. I didn't see any Stinkbugs today. I read if you squish them the nasty smell keeps other Stinkbugs away. I happened to nail one the other day by the front door while flicking it off the frame.

I have no idea if this will work. Any other suggestions will be seriously considered.
 
The marmorated ones started in Allentown PA, and got down here philly way about 7-8 years ago.

Since I airsealed my house, a LOT fewer of them. Yet another reason to airseal.
 
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NortheastAl said:
View attachment 111274


  • Brown marmorated stink bug
  • Halyomorpha halys, also known as the brown marmorated stink bug, or simply the stink bug, is an insect in the family Pentatomidae, and it is native to Korea and Taiwan. Wikipedia
    Scientific name: Halyomorpha halys

Dennis, this is the bad boy. Nasty things.
Click to expand...

Heck Dennis splits them vertically and stacks them for 3 years!:)

Gary
 
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woodgeek said:
The marmorated ones started in Allentown PA, and got down here philly way about 7-8 years ago.

Since I airsealed my house, a LOT fewer of them. Yet another reason to airseal.
Click to expand...
I had read that. It was only about 10 years ago when they were discovered, and they spread that quickly up the east coast.

I guess sealing a home is probably the best way, but don't you want the house to breathe a little?
 
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jharkin said:
We get them bad every fall - western conifer seed bugs. My wife absolutely hates the things. No way I know of to rid of them completely as they seem to get in through the tiniest of cracks despite their large size.

800px-WesternConiferSeedBug.JPG
Click to expand...

Jeremy, these are what we have always called pine bugs. Tick them off and they give off a pine smell but it is a super strong smell. When we find them in the house (every fall) we grab them by the feelers and put them out. No smell this way. Grab them by a leg though.....
 
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Backwoods Savage said:
Jeremy, these are what we have always called pine bugs. Tick them off and they give off a pine smell but it is a super strong smell. When we find them in the house (every fall) we grab them by the feelers and put them out. No smell this way. Grab them by a leg though.....
Click to expand...

When I grab the wife by her "feelers" she puts up a big stink!;) YMMV

Gary
 
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A few teaspoons of neem oil (sold at hardware and landscaping supply stores) in a spray bottle is a natural repellant for your doorways and window sills. Lysol, pinesol or any other scents in the pine/mint family work too. Last resort, Ivory or Dawn dish soap (NOT the anti bacteria stuff) works too but not as well as the neem oil solution :)
 
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