Like it or not, the new infestation of Stink Bugs is not likely to leave anytime soon... if ever. Since they arrived from Asia, they've gotten quite a foothold - especially in Pennsylvania. They first popped their stinky little heads up in Allentown, Lehigh county, and have migrated to at least 20 other counties in Pennsylvania. They've even been spotted in New Jersey, Maryland, and several other surrounding states.
So since they're not showing any signs of moving on, the $64 question everyone asks is: "How do we get rid of Stink Bugs?" This is where the "good news/bad news" comes in. You might just as well ask, "How do we get rid of Hornets? or Wasps? or Yellow Jackets?" The unfortunate answer is, you don't! That's the bad news. People probably felt the same way when these other pests showed up, but eventually learned to deal with them, and resolved to accept them whether they liked it or not. At least Stink Bugs don't sting! And that's just one part of the good news in all of this.
Compared to the other more aggressive bugs out there, Stink Bugs are fairly easy to control. So let's keep things in perspective here. You will never totally prevent their existence around your house, but you CAN control where they congregate.
First, they would really like to congregate inside your house. They're not very big so it doesn't take much of an opening for them to get in. The Simple Solution: seal every potential port of entry you can find. Get some latex caulking and fill cracks. Make sure your window screens fit properly. If you don't have sweeps on the bottoms of your doors, get'em and put'em on. It's just common sense. If you were a bug of that size, where would you be looking to get in? Answer that question and you'll go a long way in sealing off potential entryways.
Second, keep in mind that Stink Bugs don't like to be too hot or too cold. Locate shady areas where they're likely to go on a hot day, and treat those areas with a pest control product every couple of weeks. Don't overlook the areas under porches and decks - these are great hiding places. Sheds offer a great hideaway on both hot and cooler days, so add them to your list of places to treat. Get creative, think like a Stink Bug!
Finally, if your goal is to kill as many of them as you can, then you might consider having a professional pest control technician come in and fan spray the outside areas, focusing on doorways and around windows. This could definitely help control a measure of the population, but as mentioned before - you'll never get rid of them all. Practical, common-sense methods are still the best approach.
If you're more of the DIY type you can buy professional-grade pesticides at "Do-It-Yourself-Pest-Control"... https://www.doyourownpestcontrol.com/stink-bugs-control.htm
By doing it yourself you avoid getting locked into a contract with a professional company, and save a bunch of money in the process. Pest control isn't complicated.
Monday, February 21, 2011
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Natural Organic Brown Stink Bug Control
After all the horror stories about pesticides like DDT, and the relatively new emphasis on "green" products, are there really any natural products that can help to control stink bugs? The answer is yes, absolutely! And since they are not toxic to humans or pets, it seems like the only logical way to go. Brown Stink Bug control is not all that difficult once you know a bit about them.
Modern society has become so dependent upon chemicals of all sorts that it has all but forgotten that Nature provides a counter-agent for just about everything. In fact, many of our most successful man-made chemical products are based upon natural examples. But where man-made products often go against Nature, Organic products work with it - exploiting that which has been right in front of our eyes all along. So what has Mother Nature provided for us to control Stink Bugs?
Although our knowledge of Stink Bugs is still a bit limited, it has been determined that they don't like oily plants. They totally dislike plants like Chrysanthemums and Marigolds. So this tells us to plant these around our homes. They also have an aversion to things that smell of Thyme, Mint,Lavender or Garlic… all 100% natural and safe! They can be dispersed as a powder or in liquid form wherever you want to control pests.
Listed below are some natural oils that have proven to be very effective in controlling a variety of bugs - including our newcomer, the Stink Bug.
Canola Oil - Canola Oil actually kills a variety of insects.
Citronella Oil - Citronella Oil repels other insects as well as mosquitoes.
Jojoba Oil - Works as a barrier.
Mustard (also called allylisothio-cyanate) - Kills and/or repels a variety of insects.
Soybean Oil - Will kill beetles, mites and other insects.
Eucalyptus - Works as a repellant on many insects.
Cedarwood - Also works as a repellant.
So as you can see, dear old Mother Nature has not left us without ample resources. They are plentiful, cheap to buy, and easy to use. But more importantly, they are completely safe and effective. Oh yes, there is one other thing you should have available in the event that a Stink Bug gets inside your house, it's called a fly swatter! It requires no special skills or certification and it's highly effective. 😊
Modern society has become so dependent upon chemicals of all sorts that it has all but forgotten that Nature provides a counter-agent for just about everything. In fact, many of our most successful man-made chemical products are based upon natural examples. But where man-made products often go against Nature, Organic products work with it - exploiting that which has been right in front of our eyes all along. So what has Mother Nature provided for us to control Stink Bugs?
Although our knowledge of Stink Bugs is still a bit limited, it has been determined that they don't like oily plants. They totally dislike plants like Chrysanthemums and Marigolds. So this tells us to plant these around our homes. They also have an aversion to things that smell of Thyme, Mint,Lavender or Garlic… all 100% natural and safe! They can be dispersed as a powder or in liquid form wherever you want to control pests.
Listed below are some natural oils that have proven to be very effective in controlling a variety of bugs - including our newcomer, the Stink Bug.
Canola Oil - Canola Oil actually kills a variety of insects.
Citronella Oil - Citronella Oil repels other insects as well as mosquitoes.
Jojoba Oil - Works as a barrier.
Mustard (also called allylisothio-cyanate) - Kills and/or repels a variety of insects.
Soybean Oil - Will kill beetles, mites and other insects.
Eucalyptus - Works as a repellant on many insects.
Cedarwood - Also works as a repellant.
So as you can see, dear old Mother Nature has not left us without ample resources. They are plentiful, cheap to buy, and easy to use. But more importantly, they are completely safe and effective. Oh yes, there is one other thing you should have available in the event that a Stink Bug gets inside your house, it's called a fly swatter! It requires no special skills or certification and it's highly effective. 😊
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Attention Brown Stink Bugs!
From: General Stinky W. Patton, Commander of Stink Bug Forces in the Northeastern Quadrant of the United States of America.
This is a highly classified document and is NOT to be shared with anyone outside of our ranks… especially humans. Failure to heed this directive will result in your immediate dishonorable discharge and possible deportation back to Asia… or something really bad like that.
It has come to my attention that our adversaries (the humans) are not as dumb as they look. They are big and ugly, but that's an issue for another time. Our forward reconnaissance has determined that in the short time we've been here, the humans have been able to figure out some of our most classified and secretive behaviors. What's even more troublesome is that some of them even know our weaknesses! I suspect that we have a trader within our ranks!
How else could the humans have figured out that we are easily able to gain access into their homes through the tiniest of holes or cracks? This has led to their aggressively sealing off some of our most convenient entryways with some kind of gooey stuff called "caulking". Where are we supposed to hibernate if we can't get in their houses? Some of them have even installed something called a "sweep" across the bottoms of their doors, thus blocking another one of our favorite ways to get in. This "pest control" behavior again points to a trader among us.
Forward Intelligence reports have indicated that others have begun to spray something called "pesticides" in the areas where we like to congregate the most. Areas such as under decks, porches, and the many other areas which provide us with relief from the hot sun in the Summer. (I personally love sheds). But those pesticides can be lethal! At minimum they can make our favorite areas repulsive to us and we have to go somewhere else.
And if the above information doesn't twist your antennas, get this: The humans have found out that we just love vegetable and fruit plants! Now they're aware of our food supply! We could be in immanent danger of starving to death if they start treating such delectable culinary delights with the things we hate the most. Things like a half and half mixture of water and liquid soap, or anything oily like canola oil, soybean oil or citronella oil. Who told them?
Finally, and most shocking of all, they have learned that our number one defensive weapon, our stink glands filled with pheromones, are totally harmless to humans! To top that off, some turn-coat even told them that Brown Stink Bugs do not bite! Although it is true, this belief has provided us with a tremendous psychological advantage and served us well up to this point. Thanks a lot... you "Bugadict" Arnold!
If the trader who ratted us out to the humans is reading this, I command that you come forward and face your punishment immediately! I will personally see to it that your stink glands are removed, and that you be deported back to Asia… or something really bad like that.
Your Supreme Commander
General Stinky W. "I Can't Return" Patton
This is a highly classified document and is NOT to be shared with anyone outside of our ranks… especially humans. Failure to heed this directive will result in your immediate dishonorable discharge and possible deportation back to Asia… or something really bad like that.
It has come to my attention that our adversaries (the humans) are not as dumb as they look. They are big and ugly, but that's an issue for another time. Our forward reconnaissance has determined that in the short time we've been here, the humans have been able to figure out some of our most classified and secretive behaviors. What's even more troublesome is that some of them even know our weaknesses! I suspect that we have a trader within our ranks!
How else could the humans have figured out that we are easily able to gain access into their homes through the tiniest of holes or cracks? This has led to their aggressively sealing off some of our most convenient entryways with some kind of gooey stuff called "caulking". Where are we supposed to hibernate if we can't get in their houses? Some of them have even installed something called a "sweep" across the bottoms of their doors, thus blocking another one of our favorite ways to get in. This "pest control" behavior again points to a trader among us.
Forward Intelligence reports have indicated that others have begun to spray something called "pesticides" in the areas where we like to congregate the most. Areas such as under decks, porches, and the many other areas which provide us with relief from the hot sun in the Summer. (I personally love sheds). But those pesticides can be lethal! At minimum they can make our favorite areas repulsive to us and we have to go somewhere else.
And if the above information doesn't twist your antennas, get this: The humans have found out that we just love vegetable and fruit plants! Now they're aware of our food supply! We could be in immanent danger of starving to death if they start treating such delectable culinary delights with the things we hate the most. Things like a half and half mixture of water and liquid soap, or anything oily like canola oil, soybean oil or citronella oil. Who told them?
Finally, and most shocking of all, they have learned that our number one defensive weapon, our stink glands filled with pheromones, are totally harmless to humans! To top that off, some turn-coat even told them that Brown Stink Bugs do not bite! Although it is true, this belief has provided us with a tremendous psychological advantage and served us well up to this point. Thanks a lot... you "Bugadict" Arnold!
If the trader who ratted us out to the humans is reading this, I command that you come forward and face your punishment immediately! I will personally see to it that your stink glands are removed, and that you be deported back to Asia… or something really bad like that.
Your Supreme Commander
General Stinky W. "I Can't Return" Patton
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