In the early spring, you might find brown bugs crawling on the walls or flying around the windows of your home. These bugs are called stink bugs and they invade homes in the fall when the weather starts to turn cool. They cluster on the outside of the home for warmth and they stay hidden through the winter. Thus, this is the right time for you to take an extensive approach to get rid of stink bugs. Keep reading and find out what effective methods you could use.
1. Sticky traps
Sticky traps are a common type of insect trap. Many people use them to control crawling pests like cockroaches. However, since stink bugs are good fliers, they may not come in contact with the trap and can quickly overwhelm the trap in large numbers.
2. Use a vacuum cleaner
You could also use a vacuum cleaner to remove stink bugs from the walls and windows of your home. The vacuum can be emptied outside. If the vacuum has a bag, it can be removed outdoors and be placed in the trash. After the vacuum is emptied, the odor of the bugs may remain for some time.
3. Cedar spray
Cedar spray can be an effective tool for repelling stink bugs. Cedar has been used as an insect repellent for many years. The easiest way is to build cedar closets in your home. You could also use cedar hangers and put cedar blocks in dresser drawers to keep moths away from your clothes. Cedar repels insects because of the smell of the cedar oil. However, the cedar might only work in a confined area, like a closet.
4. Diatomaceous Earth
Spread this chalky powder both outside and inside, focusing on entryways like windows and doors along with other areas where stink bugs seem to gather. Diatomaceous Earth is a natural sedimentary rock. It contains silica, alumina, and iron oxide. The powder is used as a pesticide against a variety of insects, including stink bugs. It works by breaking down the waxy protective layer on an insect’s exoskeleton, essentially causing the insect to dehydrate.
5. DIY garlic spray
Thus, you can mix 2 cups (500 ml) water with 4 tsp (20 ml) garlic powder in a spray bottle. Spray this solution onto plant leaves, windowsills, and other areas stink bugs frequently. Stink bugs do not like the potent odor of garlic and generally stay away when garlic is nearby. It only repels the insects instead of killing them. You can also chop several cloves of garlic and spread the pieces around stink bug hide-outs.
