• Menu
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Before Header

Beautiful Finger Lakes logo

Finger Lakes events, activities and fun

  • HOME
  • LOCAL EVENTS
  • RECREATION
  • ATTRACTIONS
  • LIFESTYLE
  • HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE
  • HOME
  • LOCAL EVENTS
  • RECREATION
  • ATTRACTIONS
  • LIFESTYLE
  • HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE

Stink bugs are back! How to get rid of stinkbugs from your house.

Yuk! Every time I look up, there is another stink bug on my window screen. It’s freaking me out. How do you get rid of stinkbugs? Stink bugs don’t bite and are harmless to humans, but they are ugly and they release a nasty smell when they are squished, scared or disturbed. Indoors, the smell …

stinkbugYuk! Every time I look up, there is another stink bug on my window screen. It’s freaking me out.

How do you get rid of stinkbugs? Stink bugs don’t bite and are harmless to humans, but they are ugly and they release a nasty smell when they are squished, scared or disturbed. Indoors, the smell can linger in the home, in the vacuum, or on anything that the stinkbug leaves it scent on. Outdoors, stink bugs eat and ruin plants, including fruits, vegetables and flowers. They tend to like to eat the leaves and seeds of black locust, maple, ash, other trees found in this area.

Stink bugs are active in the spring (March and April) when they wake up from their winter sleep, and also in September when they leave the trees they spend summer in and are trying to find a nice warm place for their winter nap. Around here, the type of stink bug found is known as the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug, named from the brown marbling pattern on its back. Stink bugs are about 3/4 long and you can identify them by the five-sided, shield-shaped body, stripes on their antennae and a striped pattern along the abdomen.

Stinkbugs can be very difficult to eliminate from your home. The key is to prevent stink bugs from entering your house in the fall. There are a few safe do-it-yourself methods to keep stink bugs out of your house without resorting to using pesticides and chemicals:

DIY Stink Bug Prevention

  • Rub screens with dryer sheets – Stink bugs don’t seem to like the odor of fabric softener dryer sheets like Bounce.
  • Smush a few stink bugs outdoors so that they release their odor. The other stink bugs may heed the warning smell and leave.
  • Fix windows, screens and any gaps around doors, windows, vents, air conditioners and other spaces where they can sneak into your house.

Once the stink bugs get inside your house, you will want to gently remove them without squishing or scaring them.

Tips how to get rid of Stink Bugs from your home:

  • DO NOT SQUISH stink bugs indoors. Trap them in a cup or plastic bag and release them outdoors or flush them down the toilet. Do not touch them with your bare hands if you don’t want smelly hands.
  • Spray stink bugs with soapy water from a household spray bottle to kill them.
  • Drown stinkbugs in a cup or bucket of soapy water.
  • DO NOT VACUUM stink bugs into a bagless home vacuum or your vacuum will stink. If your vacuum has a bag, empty it right away after sucking up stink bugs.
  • Do not kill them and leave them (like in the walls or crawlspace) or they will start to stink, even dead.
  • Spray them with Lysol. Kill the bug and the odor at the same time!

Bugzooka Bug Catcher Vacuum

A fun way to catch and release Stinkbugs!

With the battery-free Bugzooka Bug Catcher Vacuum, you can easily capture and release unwanted stinkbugs and insects from your home without having to touch or squish the critters. Capture wasps, spiders and flies into a removable tube for safe and easy transport outside (or into the toilet). Simply push the bellows at the base of the BugZooka to compress the air and push the trigger. The BugZooka will suck up the bug into the tube. Pretty easy!!! The telescoping arm extends up to 24″ so you can stay far enough from the bug. Being battery-free, there’s no need to worry about the battery being dead when you need it, and it’s a lot quieter than the battery operated bug vacuums. It’s perfect for stinkbugs!

Read reviews and purchase the Bugzooka Bug Catcher Vacuum from Amazon.com.


Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, BeautifulFingerLakes.com may earn a commission from purchases made via links on this page.
You may also be interested in these...
nurse gifts - nurse rubber duckies

NURSE Gifts for Nurses

Cork and Corkscrew

Best WINE OPENERS and Best CORKSCREWS

cows

COW Gifts for Cow lovers

Best Compact Wine Refrigerators

gifts

Gifts for MENOPAUSAL WOMEN

wine glasses

WINE Gift Ideas for Wine Lovers

Buffalo Sabres jerseys and Santa

Gifts for BUFFALO SABRES FANS

pirate flag

PIRATE Gift Ideas – Aaargghhh!

bee on sunflower

BEE Gifts for Bee Lovers

elephants

ELEPHANT Gifts for Elephant lovers

Fall Foliage

HUNTING Gifts for Hunters

Clothing Donations – where to drop off clothes and coats to be donated

Previous Post: « A magical winter wedding in the Finger Lakes.
Next Post: Fishing in the Finger Lakes »

Primary Sidebar

Recent Posts

  • Christmas Dinner – Open Restaurants Rochester & Finger Lakes
  • Christmas Dinner – Syracuse & CNY restaurants
  • NURSE Gifts for Nurses
  • Best WINE OPENERS and Best CORKSCREWS
  • COW Gifts for Cow lovers
  • Best Compact Wine Refrigerators
  • Gifts for MENOPAUSAL WOMEN
  • Cut Your Own Christmas Trees | Rochester & Finger Lakes
  • WINE Gift Ideas for Wine Lovers
  • Gifts for BUFFALO SABRES FANS

Holiday Gift Guide

nurse gifts - nurse rubber duckies

NURSE Gifts for Nurses

NURSE Gifts for Nurses
Cork and Corkscrew

Best WINE OPENERS and Best CORKSCREWS

Best WINE OPENERS and Best CORKSCREWS
cows

COW Gifts for Cow lovers

COW Gifts for Cow lovers
gifts

Gifts for MENOPAUSAL WOMEN

Gifts for MENOPAUSAL WOMEN
wine glasses

WINE Gift Ideas for Wine Lovers

WINE Gift Ideas for Wine Lovers
Buffalo Sabres jerseys and Santa

Gifts for BUFFALO SABRES FANS

Gifts for BUFFALO SABRES FANS
pirate flag

PIRATE Gift Ideas – Aaargghhh!

PIRATE Gift Ideas – Aaargghhh!
bee on sunflower

BEE Gifts for Bee Lovers

BEE Gifts for Bee Lovers
elephants

ELEPHANT Gifts for Elephant lovers

ELEPHANT Gifts for Elephant lovers
Fall Foliage

HUNTING Gifts for Hunters

HUNTING Gifts for Hunters
fishermen fishing on the Admiral Nelson

FISHING Gifts for Fishermen

FISHING Gifts for Fishermen
beer gifts

BEER Gifts for Beer Drinkers

BEER Gifts for Beer Drinkers
golfball with golf club

GOLF Gifts for Golfers

GOLF Gifts for Golfers
cooking in home kitchen

KITCHEN Gifts for Home COOKS

KITCHEN Gifts for Home COOKS

Copyright © 2021 Beautiful Finger Lakes · All Rights Reserved ·