If you’re dealing with stink bugs, you're not alone. While these brown, shield-shaped bugs may not bite like bedbugs, mosquitoes or June Bugs, they sure know how to make their presence known—with a smelly, unpleasant odor when disturbed. Known scientifically as the brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB), these brown bugs can invade your home and leave behind their distinctive scent. With their speckled bodies and white undersides, they’re easy to spot, but far less welcome. If you’re wondering how to handle these smelly bugs, read on for tips to keep them away for good!

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What Lures Stink Bugs into Your House?

Stink bugs are drawn to your home by warmth, light and food. In late summer through fall, they start looking for homes to hang out in during the cooler months, looking for comfortable places to hibernate. In the spring, they may emerge from their winter hiding spots. They like warm, dry conditions but need moisture, so are often found in kitchens, bathrooms or plant pots.

These pests enter your home through spaces and cracks under eaves, utility pipes, basement, siding, windows, doors and chimneys. They often crawl on walls or drapes and are attracted to light around windows. They also like fruits, vegetables and plants that produce sap or nectar, so they can be found in outdoor gardens as well.

How to Get Rid of Stink Bugs

They will take some effort to get rid of from and with the right actions, you can control the infestation and aid avoid it from taking place again. Here are some practical tips:

1. Reduce clutter in hiding places

Messy rooms like garages, basements and attics are perfect hiding spots for stink bugs. Eliminate all boxes and/or piles of old things (especially fabric and laundry). Clearing away clutter and cleaning regularly with mops and brooms can remove hiding spots from stink bugs.

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2. Seal Every Door

Window and door cracks are among the best entry points for stink bugs. Properly weather-strip and caulk your doors and windows. Repair broken window screens and caulk other openings in the home. It’s best to use blinds or curtains to block out light from inside lights so as not to draw them in.

3. Take Care of Your Yard

It is also overgrown plants that attract stink bugs. Keep your landscape trimmed and your lawn mowed frequently to prevent these creatures from moving into your home. Remove sheltering plants and debris that attract stink bugs.

4. Mist the garlic

Garlic has a natural repelling prowess. To make your own garlic spray, mix four teaspoons of garlic powder with two cups of water. Spray the mix in places where stink bugs are likely to come in, like your windowsills and doorways.

5. Apply Soapy Water

When stink bugs perceive a threat, they often plummet straight to the floor. Make use of this fact by placing a jar below the bug filled with a combination of warm water and liquid dish detergent. Flick it into the jar, and the bug will drown if it manages not to fall in. To dry out and kill the bugs, you can also spray potential entry points like windowsills, doorways, and cracks with a soapy water solution.

6. Vacuum or Sweep

If stink bugs get inside, you can vacuum or sweep them out. Dump the bag or canister outside and use a HEPA filter vacuum to minimize the smell. After using the vacuum, make sure you clean it, too, so pests cannot be trapped inside.

7. Consider Using a Professional Removal

If your home is stricken with a serious stink bug invasion, hiring the services of a professional exterminator could be your best bet. They might use pesticides or stink bug-specific traps. If you’re concerned about the impact on the environment, talk to your exterminator about eco-friendly fumigation or trapping methods. To help reduce the chance of stink bugs coming into your home, you might also consider having a pest control service treat your yard.

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8. Apply insecticides.

Pyrethrin-based pesticides derived from chrysanthemum flowers can work when the pesticide is sprayed directly on stink bugs. These insecticides are also used to target other home pests such as flies, ants, fleas, and mosquitoes.

9. Spread diatomaceous earth around potential hiding areas and entry points.

Diatomaceous earth is another practical treatment when dealing with stink bugs. Dust regions near any access points and potential stink bug hiding spots. If you’re using it indoors, use only food-grade diatomaceous earth, placed around baseboards and entries, as well as across windowsills, for safety. After a few days, suck up the diatomaceous earth and any dead stink bugs it’s caught.

10. Make Use of DIY Traps

To lure stink bugs, create a simple trap: Fill a pan or dish with soapy water and place it under a light. Because stink bugs are drawn to light they’ll walk right into the water and drown.” Pick a dish or pan that the bugs can easily climb into and pour in enough soapy water to ensure the bugs can’t escape.

11. Get rid of the stink bugs.

If you seek a quick and simple solution, you can crush, stomp or otherwise destroy stink bugs. While it will kill the bugs, this is not the optimal way to handle an infestation. As a defense mechanism, crushing them devastates them, besides leaving stains and residue on surfaces and upholstery and giving off an unpleasant stench. It is more effective for an isolated defect than a major problem.

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How to Keep Stink Bugs Out of Your House

Preventing stink bugs from getting into your home is much easier than removing them once they’re there. What you can do first is to regularly inspect your property for signs of these little guys, especially during the autumn season when they are looking for a warm place to hide. Look for its gray-brown coloration and shield-shaped form. Here is how you can prevent stink bugs:

• Seal Points of Entry: Any gaps around windows and doors can be caulked. Plus, check for gaps in your siding and rips in the window screens that might let stink bugs in.
• Turn down outdoor lighting: Since stink bugs are attracted to light, one way to deter them is to reduce outdoor lighting. Rock yellow light bulbs if you must have them as they tend to be less inviting to bugs.
• Eliminate yard debris: Food sources in your yard are often what draws stink bugs. This will make your grass and yard less enticing, so keep them clean on a regular basis.
• Use fragrances that stink bugs don’t like: Some kinds of fragrances (citrus, lavender, mint and garlic) repel stink bugs. To deter them, put an essential oil diffuser near the windows and door frames as a natural barricade.
• Use a dehumidifier: Stink bugs need a water source to live, but they thrive in warm, dry places. Letting a dehumidifier run in damp areas (the bathrooms or basement) can help make your home a less hospitable place for them.

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Is Anyone at Risk from Stink Bugs — Humans or Pets?

Because they feed on fruits, vegetables, and ornamentals, stink bugs are a major threat to crops and can cause millions of dollars in damage. However, they do not endanger people or animals. Stink bugs are not very pesty types and don’t actually bite. They are not venomous or disease-carrying, although their bites can cause mild irritation. So, rinsing stink bugs down the toilet isn’t going to endanger human and animal health, even if it is annoying.

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In addition to maintaining cleanliness, addressing pest issues is equally important for a healthy living or working environment. While DIY pest control methods can provide temporary relief, professional exterminators offer targeted solutions and long-term prevention. To help you tackle pest problems effectively, here are some reputable pest control companies that combine expertise and eco-friendly practices for optimal results.