Stink Bug Control Services in Lakewood, Somerset, Edison
What are stink bugs?
The Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (BMSB), scientifically known as Halyomorpha halys, belongs to the Hemiptera order, commonly referred to as true bugs. Also known as the yellow-brown stink bug or the East Asian stink bug, its name "marmorated" refers to its marble-like brown mottled coloration.
Originating from Asia, BMSBs are significant crop pests, causing notable damage to soybeans and various tree crops. In New Jersey, they are considered an exotic invasive species, posing a threat to the local ecosystem after their introduction. Rutgers University and the New Jersey Department of Agriculture actively monitor BMSB activity across the state.
How are stink bugs identified?
Stink bugs lay light green eggs in clusters of 20 to 30 on the undersides of leaves, typically outdoors on plants from June to August. Unable to reproduce indoors, they feed on a range of plants including fruit trees, legumes, and woody ornamentals. These bugs undergo five nymphal stages, transitioning from red to almost black before reaching their distinctive brown adult form.
Adult stink bugs measure about 17 mm in length, with identifiable antennae featuring alternating dark and light bands. Their underside is white or pale tan, occasionally with gray or black markings, while their legs display brown coloration with faint white banding. Stink glands are situated on the underside of the thorax between the first and second pair of legs.
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Why do stink bugs invade our New Jersey homes?
Winter presents challenges for all creatures, but cold-blooded insects and reptiles face particularly harsh conditions. Unlike warm-blooded mammals and birds, which can regulate their body temperature, insects must adapt to the cold or seek refuge to survive. Insects like the BMSB employ various overwintering strategies to endure the winter, often seeking shelter in insulated buildings with heating systems. As temperatures rise in spring, these resilient creatures emerge once again, seemingly unaffected by the harshness of winter.
Have you noticed an increased amount of stinkbug activity in the cold weather? Check out our in-depth stinkbug technical papers for further information by clicking the "Learn More" button!
What can Cowleys do to help with stink bug control issues?
When it comes to stink bugs, the best time to contact a pest control professional is when these bugs are congregating outside of your home seeking an avenue of entry. Cowleys Pest Services can implement an effective treatment plan outside of your home to help keep more of them from entering. The objective is to deal with just a few scattered appearances of these unwanted pests inside your home, not hundreds of them. The optimal period for barrier applications is when the bugs are beginning to respond to decreasing temperatures and looking to overwinter. Depending on temperatures, this can be anywhere from late August through October.
An exterior, preventive spray can have dramatic results. Stink bugs hibernate until the spring, so the best time to treat for overwintering bugs is in the early fall. Spraying creates a highly effective residual barrier, but like any pest control treatment, 100% elimination is impossible. Nevertheless, a thorough external treatment will go a long way in reducing those stink bug sightings inside your home.
Also, a barrier treatment will help keep other overwintering bugs such as ladybugs and boxelder bugs from entering your home. The effectiveness of the application is limited to a few weeks so several treatments may be required depending upon the level of overwintering bugs in your area.
If you're suffering from a stink bug control problem, contact the experts at Cowleys Pest Services to diagnose the issue and provide long-term solutions to rid your home of these pests. We exterminate stink bugs in Edison, Somerset, Lakewood and nearby Mercer, Ocean, Monmouth, Somerset, & Middlesex County.