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Do It Yourself: Pest Control for Stink Bugs
Do It Yourself: Pest Control for Stink Bugs. Native to China, Japan, Korea and Taiwan, stink bugs were first collected in the United States in 1997. Stink bugs are most active outdoors in the spring through the fall. They typically move indoors at the beginning of fall due to colder temperatures. They can wreak havoc on plants and flowers, as well...
Native to China, Japan, Korea and Taiwan, stink bugs were first collected in the United States in 1997. Stink bugs are most active outdoors in the spring through the fall. They typically move indoors at the beginning of fall due to colder temperatures. They can wreak havoc on plants and flowers, as well as fruit and vegetable gardens. If your home or garden falls victim to stink bugs, there are a few actions you can take to remove the pests.
Things You'll Need
Pack of cigarettes
2 medium containers
Sifter or other filtering utensil
2 tbsps. laundry detergent
Spray bottle
Close your home's doors and windows to help keep the bugs from entering. Stink bugs are attracted to light, so keep your curtains drawn at night and use exterior lights as little as possible during peak bug months. Examine your home for cracks and openings through which stink bugs can enter. This includes siding, windows, doors, pipes and chimneys. Seal any cracks you locate with a silicone or silicone-latex caulk. Replace damaged window and door screens.
Weed your garden frequently and thoroughly in the spring. Stink bugs begin feeding on weeds and move to other plants, fruits and vegetables as the season progresses. Weeding will remove the bugs' initial source of food.
Remove half of the cigarettes from a pack and break them into pieces. Fill a container with warm water and drop the cigarettes in the water. Allow the cigarettes to dissolve in the water for approximately 30 minutes. Hold the sifter over the second bucket and pour the solution through the sifter to remove the cigarettes and debris. Add the detergent to the filtered solution and pour the liquid in the spray bottle. This solution, called nicotine water, can help kill stink bugs and their eggs.
Check the leaves of your outdoor plants every week during the mid-spring to early summer months for stink bug eggs. Stink bugs only lay eggs outdoors on the underside of plant leaves. Their eggs are yellow, white or pale green in color and laid in clumps of 20 to 30. Scoop the eggs into a bag or container and spray them with the nicotine water. Dispose of the eggs in an outdoor trash.
Spray any bugs you see with the nicotine water. Vacuum up the bugs and immediately dispose of them in an outdoor trash or in the toilet. Do not crush the bugs, as this will result in the emission of the bug's notorious odor.
Tips & Warnings
It is very difficult, if not impossible, to completely rid your home of stink bugs. However, proper precautions can greatly reduce the number of bugs.
