How to Get Rid of Stink Bugs: 11 Tips from Garden Pest and Disease Control Experts (2024)

If you’re wondering how to get rid of stink bugs, take solace—these pesky bugs may smell bad, but they’re not harmful to humans. Stink bugs (called the brown marmorated stink bug, or BMSB for short) are an invasive six-legged insect that produces an unpleasant odor when crushed or disturbed. They have a shield-like shape, three body segments, and a brown-gray coloring with black speckling and white undersides.

Stink bugs are named for their smelly odor, which they emit when they feel threatened or are crushed. Some people notice the smell more than others and say stink bugs smell like sulfur and ammonia or rotten meat. If you’re finding stink bugs in your home, these tips from the experts will help you remove and prevent these smelly pests.

What Attracts Stink Bugs?

Stink bugs are attracted by warmth and light. When the weather cools, they usually creep into homes from late summer to fall. The unwelcome bugs are seeking warm places to shelter for the cooler months. You may also see them in spring as they emerge from a hibernation-like wintering state in your home.

“They enter through cracks and crevices around windows, doors, siding, utility pipes, behind chimneys, and underneath eaves,” says Vincent Luca, owner of On Demand Pest Control. “Stink bugs are attracted by the light produced by windows and can sometimes be found crawling on walls or curtains near sunny windows.”

Stink bugs also are attracted to food sources, including fruit and vegetables, which can draw them to homes with outdoor vegetation. Stink bugs can’t resist the temptation of fruits, vegetables, and plants that produce sap or nectar, Luca says.

How to Get Rid of Stink Bugs

Getting rid of stink bugs takes some effort, especially if you have an infestation on your hands. Fortunately, there are some easy steps you can take to get rid of them, depending on the severity of the infestation and the products you have on hand.

Discard of Clutter in Hiding Places

Stink bugs tend to hide in cluttered places, such as in attics, basem*nts, and garages. If you have boxes laying around with old items that you don't need to hang onto, get rid of them. Similarly, piles of laundry or fabric (such as old curtains or sheets) are hiding places for stink bugs. Toss or at least clear any items that are creating clutter that attracts stink bugs—and keep the house clean by regularly dusting, mopping, and tidying up. Getting rid of infested items altogether is an easy way to get rid of the bugs hiding in them.

Seal All Entryways

Stink bugs flock to cracks in doors and windows, so make sure your doors and windows are properly caulked and weather-stripped. “Repair broken window screens and seal any other openings into your home,” says John M Kauffman, Ph.D., regional technical manager of TruGreen. “Stink bugs are also attracted to light, so keeping outdoor lighting at a minimum and using curtains or blinds to keep your indoor lighting from shining outside will make your home less attractive to stink bugs.”

Maintain Landscaping

Stink bugs also invade unmaintained vegetation, so mow your lawn regularly and maintain your landscaping. “Additionally, keeping the yard clean by removing debris and vegetation that may attract stink bugs can help reduce the number of pests around the home,” Luca says.

Spray Garlic

Garlic repels stink bugs and is a natural deterrent. Create your own garlic spray by mixing two cups of water and four teaspoons of garlic powder and spray windowsills and doorways where stink bugs will likely enter.

Use Soapy Water

Stink bugs often drop straight down when they feel threatened, and you can take advantage of this. Cover the bottom of a jar with liquid dish soap, then add warm water to fill the jar halfway.Place the solution beneath the bug, and most likely, it will drop into the water. If the stink bug does not drop into the water, you can flick it into the water, which will drown it. Then flush the stink bug and soapy water down the toilet.

You can also spray a soapy water solution on your window sills, doorways, and crevices where stink bugs may enter. Combine 32 oz (1 liter) of warm water with 3/4 cup (180 ml) of any liquid dish detergent and shake well before spraying. The solution will dehydrate stink bugs who pass through it and eventually kill them.

Sweep or Vacuum

If you have stink bugs in your home, you can sweep or vacuum up the stinky critters. Kauffman says to minimize their foul smell by using a HEPA filter vacuum and emptying the bag outdoors.Just be sure to clean the vacuum and empty the dustbin after using it. You won't want to keep the bugs inside.

Professional Removal

If stink bugs have invaded your home in large numbers, you may need to hire an exterminator. Exterminators use insecticides or trapping devices designed for setink bugs. Talk to your exterminator about environmentally-friendly fumigation or trap solutions to minimize the impact on your home and the environment. You can also hire a pest control service for your lawn to help remove the stink bugs and prevent them from getting into your home.

Use Insecticides

Pyrethrin-based Insecticides, which come from chrysanthemum flowers (the impurities from the flowers), are effective against stink bugs if you spray them directly onto the bugs. These insecticides also work against other household pests like mosquitoes, fleas, flies, and, ants.

Spread Diatomaceous Earth Around

Dust a light layer of diatomaceous earth around entry points and stink bug-infested areas. If you use it inside (such as around windowsills, doorways, and baseboards), make sure that you use food-grade diatomaceous earth so it is safe around humans and pets. After a few days of use, vacuum up the diatomaceous earth and any dead stink bugs along with it.

Use Homemade Traps

Fill a dish or pan with soapy water and place it under a light to attract stink bugs. Because stink bugs are attracted to light, this trap can drown them. Make sure that you use a dish or pan that stink bugs can easily crawl into—and that you use enough soapy water to drown them.

Squish the Stink Bugs

One easy way to kill stink bugs is by squishing or stomping on live bugs. However, it's worth noting that, while physically squashing stink bugs will kill them, it's not the most efficient way to get rid of them. When you crush a stink bug, it will likely release a foul-smelling odor, as well, as a defense mechanism. Squashing bugs can also leave behind stains and residues on surfaces and upholstery.

How to Keep Stink Bugs Away

Luckily, you can prevent stink bugs from coming into your home. Prevention is the first step to keep stink bugs out of your home.“To prevent an infestation of stink bugs and other pests, homeowners should regularly inspect their property for any signs of these insects,” Luca says. When looking for stink bugs, watch for the telltale shield and gray-brown coloring.Here are other some tips to keep stink bugs away.

• Seal entry points. Try using caulking to seal up any cracks around doors and windows. You should also be mindful of any tears in window screens or holes in siding.
• Dim or ditch any outdoor lighting. Stink bugs are drawn to light, so it's best to keep them to a minimum. If you're going to use lights, yellow bulbs that aren't as bright are better.
• Clear debris from your yard. Removing food sources from your yard or garden—and upkeeping your lawn care—can help keep stink bugs (and other pests) at bay.
• Use scents that stink bugs don't like. Stink bugs are repelled by several scents like garlic, mint, lavender, and citrus. You can use an essential oil diffuser with these scents by door frames and windows to keep stink bugs away.
• Use a dehumidifier. Stink bugs tend to prefer warm and dry conditions. However, reducing humidity in your home can help make the environment less inviting to stink bugs. The use of a dehumidifier in damp areas (like the basem*nt or bathrooms) can help deter stink bugs.
  

Are Stink Bugs Harmful?

Stink bugs are harmful to crops but not to humans or pets. The invasive creatures can be very damaging to crops, causing millions of dollars worth of damage. They feed on fruits, vegetables, and ornamental plants, sucking their juice.

Although pesky, stink bugs are more of an annoyance than a danger to people. The majority of stink bugs do not bite, but in rare cases, some may bite if threatened, Luca says. This can cause irritation, but stink bugs are not poisonous to people or pets and do not carry any diseases.