Stink Bugs
Stink Bug
There is nothing more annoying than the smell of the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug. They give off an offensive smelling liquid when they feel threatened or attacked. The smell also invites other stink bugs to their warm and lighted areas. They breed in warm weather and need heat to live. Stink bugs are attracted to light and will find their way into homes during the summer nights when porch and deck lights are on and doors are being opened. You’ll find these critters from Dandridge to Harriman and all across East Tennessee.
Stink bugs are regarded as agricultural pests for they can destroy fruit and vegetable crops. They suck the juice from fruits and eat seed pods from a wide range of plants. If you notice damage on your ornamental plants or fruit trees it may be from the stink bug. From all the damage they can do, the good things about these bugs are they rarely bite and they aren’t poisonous.
Although these bugs are fairly harmless, they become a nuisance when the adults enter homes and businesses in the fall as they seek shelter for the winter. Light colored houses or places where they can find sun exposure are also perfect breeding places for them. In homes, their favorite places to overwinter are around cracks in windows and door frames. They can also easily hideout under your siding and under roof shingles, too. Your attic, attic vents, and crawl spaces are some other areas where stink bugs may hibernate over the winter months.
We would recommend caulking cracks around door frames, windows, and under exhaust fans. If this bug slips through a crack and into your home, do not crush it. Its odor is horrendous.
If you’ve had these bugs in the past and they’ve now have become problematic, call Russell’s Pest Control for a pest treatment. Please keep in mind, this service needs to be completed before the cooler weather sets in and prior to the stink bugs invading your home or office.
