Found while sweeping the chimney - after 1st yr of an EPA stove

[Green Energy]

Cleaning the chimney used to be a job I dreaded because I had to disassemble the flue discharge, rolls a 650 lb stove out of way, and then sweep the 9x9 chimney getting a shoe box or two of nasty creosote. Then I had to reassemble everything, which was not always smooth.

So one of the big draws to putting in a liner and new stove was to be able to clean the liner through a tee without moving the stove. Also, I found that I had about a cup of fine powder after a couple months of burning last winter. So I was actually looking forward to cleaning the flue. Well when I pulled down the clean-out cap, I was shocked to see it was most full and it looked like puffed creosote kernels like a chimney fire had taken place.

On closer examination, some of the kernels were slowly moving. It turns out they are "stink bugs." They are a terribly invasive pest that came over from China in some shipping materials about 10 years ago. The mid-Atlantic area now has them every where. These things are nasty. It looks like they have been living in the bottom of my tee for months, with no water. I wonder if they eat creosote. If you haven't seen these things, they unfortunately will probably be spreading their way across the country.

 

[kathyfitz]

Can I just say - ewwwwwwww!

 

[oconnor]

Yuck!

 

[pen]

sweet mother of god. If china hasn't helped us enough.

pen

 

[scoooter]

Yuck They are all over my wood stacks... I wish they would get back on the packaging material and go home



Scott

 

[Green Energy]

I gave them all a swim test - none of them passed.

 

[BrowningBAR]

Someone with more stink bugs than me. Nice.

 

[Green Energy]

As I think about this, I think my flue cap was acting like a trap. The stink bugs flew in and then could not get out. They fell down to the bottom of the flue into the clean out and could not fly in such a confined space. When I sweep the chimney, I was concerned that I may get a lot more if they were on the walls of the liner. I did not see any addition bugs in the powder that came out with the sweeping.

I am glad I sweep the flue and found these things BEFORE I started a fire. Baked stink bugs would have been even nastier. I wonder how many more people have a bunch of these things in there chimneys and flues?

 

[BrowningBAR]

I am glad I sweep the flue and found these things BEFORE I started a fire. Baked stink bugs would have been even nastier. I wonder how many more people have a bunch of these things in there chimneys and flues?

I can confirm that those little bastards can handle quite a lot of heat.

 

[herbdan]

Wait, Wait, u said they might eat creosote?? They may be cheaper than a cleaning rod and brush. Plus, after they get done with dinner, what is their BTU rating per bug??

 

[jeff_t]

Don't burn stinkbugs. They're full of creosote and will cause a chimney fire.

 

[midwestcoast]

Shoot, I was thinking a nice little chimney fire would be the easiest way to clean those little guys out of there. That is pretty wild

 

[bjkjoseph]

i found them here too...they try to get in your house for the winter.

 

[soupy1957]

Oh great!! Something ELSE to watch for and worry about..........just what I need!!

-Soupy1957

 

[albertj03]

We've had stink bugs here (Maine) for as long as I can remember. I've never had them in mass quantities trying to get into the house before though, just one here or there outside.

 

[Green Energy]

We've had stink bugs here (Maine) for as long as I can remember. I've never had them in mass quantities trying to get into the house before though, just one here or there outside.

You must have a native version that is not invasive like the ones down here. Last year there were a few, here and there, no big deal. This year they were all over everything, getting in the house, in the car, and ruining crops. I have heard of people going up in their attics and finding hords of them. According to the article at the below link, these pests have only been in the U.S. since 1998.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/27/us/27stinkbug.html

 

[SKIN052]

I hate bugs, hope our Canadian climate is a little too much for them there things.

 

[Shari]

Sorry - but that is just gross! It agree "Ewwww!"

Many years ago we suffered the earwig invasion from, where, China also? My occupation (real estate agent) came into play with the earwig when they infested private wells around here and they were contaminating the private wells. Now it is common to install a 'insect proof' well caps around here.

Do you folks out East have these 'insect proof' well caps? If not, you might want to look into getting them.

Shari

 

[allhandsworking]

Can we give China something with the word "stink" in it instead of our dollars!

 

[FireAnt]

Oh great!! Something ELSE to watch for and worry about..........just what I need!!

-Soupy1957

We have already got them in CT...

 

[Green Energy]

Sorry - but that is just gross! It agree "Ewwww!"

Many years ago we suffered the earwig invasion from, where, China also? My occupation (real estate agent) came into play with the earwig when they infested private wells around here and they were contaminating the private wells. Now it is common to install a 'insect proof' well caps around here.

Do you folks out East have these 'insect proof' well caps? If not, you might want to look into getting them.

Shari

Thanks for this insight. I agree that these bugs are nasty and yucky. Do earwigs live in the aquifer, and thereby contaminating it? It seems like these stink bugs die when they go for a swim.

 

[DanCorcoran]

Folks, let's be real. There are pests all over the world. If a country imports billions of dollars worth of merchandise over the years from other countries, sooner or later a hitchhiking pest is going to arrive. I'm sure the US has shipped it's share over the years...

 

[allhandsworking]

Folks, let's be real. There are pests all over the world. If a country imports billions of dollars worth of merchandise over the years from other countries, sooner or later a hitchhiking pest is going to arrive. I'm sure the US has shipped it's share over the years...

Oh it's too much fun to complain! What about bed bugs the exterminators are loving it!

 

[RNLA]

INSECTICIDE. Or a hot fire. It will only smell bad for the time it takes to burn them out...

 

[Shari]

Sorry - but that is just gross! It agree "Ewwww!"

Many years ago we suffered the earwig invasion from, where, China also? My occupation (real estate agent) came into play with the earwig when they infested private wells around here and they were contaminating the private wells. Now it is common to install a 'insect proof' well caps around here.

Do you folks out East have these 'insect proof' well caps? If not, you might want to look into getting them.

Shari

Thanks for this insight. I agree that these bugs are nasty and yucky. Do earwigs live in the aquifer, and thereby contaminating it? It seems like these stink bugs die when they go for a swim.

No, earwigs don't live the in aquifer - they just prefer cool, damp, dark areas. Under private well caps are a perfect hiding place for them - until they lose their 'grip' and then fall down thereby contaminating the well water via their decomposing little, icky bodies.

We find them everywhere though, not just in wells - under rocks, in flower garden (damp soil), etc. Ugly little critters. They 'hitchhike' indoors also. I found a dead one floating in our dogs inside water dish the other day. Ewwww!

Shari