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Stink bugs aren’t some new menace to our homes; actually, they’ve been around for quite some time. It’s only recently that their numbers have peaked enough that they’ve become almost impossible to miss. The brown marmorated stink bug is not native to the United States; it is an invasive species brought over from Asia. They have become a problem for us because they are very fast breeders, and since they aren’t native to North America, they possess little to no natural predators.
Stink bugs are for the most part, absolutely harmless to humans. They don’t bite or sting. Instead, the stink bug produces a miserable smell as a defense mechanism. It releases a pungent odor when frightened or disturbed. Squishing them isn't an effective means for dealing with these pests. Instead, experts recommend using stink bug traps as a better method for ridding your home and yard of these unwanted guests. Traps are effective because they don’t provoke stink bugs into releasing its defensive smell.
Here are two methods for getting maximum efficiency out of your stink bug traps:
Setting up Traps in Trees and Shrubs
For trees and shrubs, the top half of the trap should be left exposed to the sun and air while the lower portion is mixed with the leaves and branches. This setup ensures suitable diffusion of the attractant odor while also providing easy access into the trap for both stink bugs. They can get in the trap easily but they can’t get out. If the airflow around the trap is restricted, the attractant scent won't disperse properly. In many instances the branches and leaves surrounding the trap become coated in the attractant causing stink bugs to crawl on them instead of into the trap.
Setting up Traps in Gardens
In regards to using a stink bug trap amongst your flowers and vegetables, placing the trap on a stake, pole or fence post a short distance from the plants has shown to be effective. This draws the stink bugs away from your vegetables; it also intercepts those that have not yet made it to your garden. Since the trap is on a post, both the top and bottom are exposed enough for both adult stink bugs and juvenile stink bugs, which are flightless, to effortlessly enter the trap. A stink bug trap that is easy for the bugs to get stuck inside catches more stink bugs. While you won’t completely remove them from your garden, you can disrupt their life cycle enough that you’ll have less of them to worry about.
Setting up a few stink bug traps is a smart investment, especially for homes and gardens experiencing a high number of these invasive and smelly pests. Stink bug traps are safer than insecticide sprays, better for the environment and extremely effective.
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