Early Preparation Essential to Keep Stink Bugs Out of Your New Jersey Home

Why should you be thinking about stink bugs in July? If stink bugs have been a problem for you in the past then chances are they are living comfortably outside of your home. But rest assured once the weather turns colder and they are looking for a place to overwinter you’ll be dealing with them again through the cold months. But you can outsmart them this year and keep stink bugs out once and for all by scheduling a well-timed outdoor treatment that will reduce their numbers before they can enter your home. Stink bugs have become a common complaint of New Jersey homeowners.  It is believed that the brown marmorated stink bug, an invasive species, was first introduced to the United States with a shipment from Asia. The first specimen was collected back in the fall of 1998 in Allentown, PA.  Since then they have spread throughout most of the United States with New Jersey and Pennsylvania being hit hard. They are an agricultural pest and can damage crops but we hear of them more often as a “nuisance pest” that invades our homes.

In New Jersey, stink bugs will enter our homes in the fall in search of a place to overwinter. Once inside, they are very difficult to control and it seems that some homes can harbor very large numbers of them. They pose no known health threat, do not bite, sting or carry disease but are a nuisance, particularly when they infest your home in large numbers. 

Some homes just attract more stink bugs. They are attracted to light and if your home has a lot of direct sunlight hitting it you could see a lot more stink bugs around. We have seen large populations covering entire sides of a home!  It can look and feel like an Alfred Hitchcock film to a homeowner!  Whether or not you have an infestation this severe, stink bugs are still a nuisance and homeowners want to know how to rid their homes of them once and for all. To prevent stink bugs, and most other pests, from entering your home be sure to caulk and seal holes and cracks around the perimeter of your home, don’t forget the doors and windows. Ensure all screens are intact and even install screens on bathroom, dryer and range fan vents to prevent modes of entry. 

The most important piece of professional advice that we can offer a homeowner to control stink bug populations inside of your home is to prevent them from entering in the first place. Once inside, there are some remedies that can help the problem. However, the most effective means of reducing your indoor stink bug sightings is to do a series of perimeter sprays and exterior barrier treatments when the days are still warm and stink bugs are congregating outside of your home. 

Remember, timing is critical!  If you have had stink bug infestations in the past do not wait any longer, contact us today and we will schedule a series of well-timed outdoor barrier treatments, depending upon the severity of overwintering bugs in your area, that will significantly reduce the number of stink bugs and other overwintering bugs like lady bugs and boxelder bugs inside of your home.