You Stink!
Ah, yes, the stinkbugs are here!
Saw this article recently and thought I’d share: http://www.southernsare.org/Southern-SARE/News-and-Media/Press-Releases/Virginia-Tech-Researchers-Exploring-Sustainable-Methods-to-Control-Brown-Marmorated-Stink-Bug
We had a horrible problem with stinkbugs until we took out the two apple trees on our property. The population dropped about 90% from one year to the next, after the trees were removed.
I was amused to discover that someone has a whole blog devoted to their hatred of stinkbugs called StopStinkbugs.com.
The stinkbugs are starting to try to come indoors for the winter. Most people recommend a vacuum cleaner to get rid of them. Empty the vac when you’re done, preferably into a plastic bag you can close and throw into the trash.
The good news is that they don’t bite, they aren’t poisonous, they don’t reproduce indoors, and they don’t feed on much of anything inside, either. The bad news is, of course, they smell if you squash them, and their innards can stain walls and furniture.
The best advice is to try to keep them out by caulking or sealing off any openings near doors and windows, and around pipes, outlets and vents. Also seal cracks under your eaves or in your siding and foundation, and replace any damaged screens.
As far as trying to get rid of them in your yard, there are a few species of parasitic wasps that attack stinkbug eggs, which helps to reduce the number of nymphs. And, there are some botantical insecticide dusts that help control them.
The chemical method is pretty nasty and it’s usually recommended you leave it to the pros.
September 29, 2012 - 9:18 AM
DC, I left mine out last winter. I don’t know whether you can kill the weed or not. Let you know in the spring, since it’s home this winter will be outside again.
This Tech article mentions that stinkbugs particularly target corn and sunflowers. Knowing that DC’s yellow house is exceptionally attractive with the stinkers makes me wonder even more if color is a factor? After seeing only 5 or 6 stinkbugs all last year, I’m seeing a couple a day now. It was not the best year for winter squash here, and a few stinkbugs joined the other pests in guaranteeing that.
They started showing up on the cuke plants later on, but by then, the cukes were done for and my squash never got started. Now they’re takin the window and door molding off and movin in with U-Haul trucks.
wdbrand – moving in with a U Haul – too funny! We don’t see them that much in our garden – they do like the red raspberries. You will know when you eat a red raspberry that has already been visited by a stink bug -yuck! Of course the farmers have huge cornfields nearby so the bugs may spend the summer there and fly over here to the house for their winter quarters.
Deep Roots – the local extension agent says the bugs do like yellow.
Where I dump my drowned stink bugs, something is eating them because when I go back to dump more the next day, the previous bugs are gone. I thought a skunk was eating them but maybe the bugs are morphing back to life?
DC, I tell I might smell wood smoke and tater soup tomorrow. Well, today might be closer.
“I think”
wdbrand – No wood smoke and no tater soup here.
Glad to see it turning cooler and the stink bugs have crawled into their holes. If it warms up later this week, maybe they will be back out and we can capture some more.
Mary Houston wrote in with this tip: Get Hartz Dog And Tic shampoo and mix half and half with water; use a paint brush or spray bottle; use it rather heavy (it doesn’t hurt wood siding, vinyl or etc.) around doors
and windows. It kills them almost instantly. IF ONE gets in, spray a dab on the stink bug,it will be dead within a min. and then, just wipe up bug and spray. Not very expensive and lasts all season.