Good advice for home owners that are experiencing a problem with stink bugs. They appear to be out in force this month and are seeking a warm place to spend the winter.
Blooming for Maryland home buyers.
The Loudoun County (VA) Extension Office has produced a fact sheet on the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug, the invasive insect pest that is invading local homes.
The Extension Office offers tips on how to prevent the stink bugs from getting inside your home and also how best to deal with them if they do manage to get inside.
How to prevent them from getting inside: If a home or structure has a history of having stink bugs over- wintering inside, then preventative measures should be taken now to prevent re-infestation in the fall. Exclude stink bugs from the house by sealing up cracks around windows, doors, utility access points, chimneys, siding, trim, and fascia. Caulk can be used to seal many cracks, but attic and foundation vents, and weep holes will require wire mesh or screening. Do not seal cracks if the insects are already inside because they will be trapped and die indoors. How to control the bugs if they are inside: Caulk around baseboards, exhaust fans, light fixtures, and trim to prevent stink bugs from accessing interior rooms from basements, drop ceilings and attics. Vacuuming best controls individual insects. Spraying stink bugs with insecticide after they get inside still obligates your to vacuum up their dead bodies, so skip the insecticide and go straight to the vacuum. Avoid treating stink bugs you cannot reach with the vacuum with insecticide. If the stink bugs die inside the wall-voids or attic, their dead bodies may attract carpet beetles and other pests that feed on the carcasses and could lead to infestations of these pests.
The complete fact sheet is available online at www.loudoun.gov/extension.
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Tips for Dealing with Brown Marmorated Stink Bug
History - Invasive insect pest from Asia first found in US in Allentown, PA in 1998. Since then has spread to Virginia and North America.
ID - About ¾" long; has white bands on antenna; no spines on thorax; alternating black and white bands on upper abdomen.
Life Cycle - Overwinters in the adult stage in protected places (including houses); adult leaves overwintering site in spring, mates, and female seeks potential host plants to lay eggs; nymphs feed on fruit and seedpods and develop throughout the summer; nymphs molt and turn into adults in late summer. Adults are attracted to the south and west sides of homes and will search for overwintering sites in your home in the fall if they can find a way in.
Management -
On plants in the garden - most damage is seen on plants/fruit in July and August. Spot spray with appropriate pesticides if damage is significant. See the Virginia Pest management Guide for Home Grounds and Animals,
Vegetable Section for recommended pesticides:
http://pubs.ext.vt.edu/456/456-018/Section_2_Home_Vegetables-1-full.pdf.
Prevent them from getting inside - If a home or structure has a history of having stink bugs over- wintering inside, then preventative measures should be taken during the summer to prevent re-infestation in the fall.
Exclude stink bugs from the house by sealing up cracks around windows, doors, utility access points, chimneys, siding, trim, and fascia. Caulk can be used to seal many cracks, but attic and foundation vents, and weep holes will require wire mesh or screening. Do not seal cracks if the insects are already inside because they will be trapped and die indoors.
Control on outside of buildings - Spot treatments using microencapsulated or wettable powder insecticides can be applied in early fall around windows, doors, attic vents and other locations on the south and west walls of the structure. Sometimes the size of the building may prevent access points high off the ground from being treated, so screening and caulking from the interior will still be necessary. Note that all insecticide applications have to be carefully timed - Applying too early will allow the insecticide to degrade before the stink bugs begin to attempt to get in; applying too late will allow many stink bugs to enter the interior of buildings.
Look for an insecticide labeled for use on the house exterior. Rutgers University has a good factsheet with a listing of chemicals that should provide control: http://njaes.rutgers.edu/stinkbug/control.asp.
Control after they get inside - Caulk around baseboards, exhaust fans, light fixtures, and trim to prevent stink bugs from accessing interior rooms from basements, drop ceilings and attics. Vacuuming best controls individual insects. Spraying stink bugs with insecticide after they get inside still obligates your to vacuum up their dead bodies, so skip the insecticide and go straight to the vacuum. Avoid treating stink bugs you cannot reach with the vacuum with insecticide. If the stink bugs die inside the wall-voids or attic, their dead bodies may attract carpet beetles and other pests that feed on the carcasses and could lead to infestations of these pests.