Top Stories

Stink bugs are back, cooler weather will keep them around longer

By Valerie Smock
By Valerie Smock
We've had a string of very warm days this month. But if you think a cooler day, like Thursday, is going to help your bug problem, you're wrong. In fact, the cooler weather and stink bugs go hand-in-hand.
It may seem like those pungent pests have been hanging around your home more frequently and you’re not the only one. When temperatures start to drop, stink bugs start popping up.
"As soon as the warmer days get shorter, they know that fall is coming and they know it's time to over-winter, which means hibernate inside of structures,” Adam Witt, president of Witt Pest Management said. “When it gets cold, like anyone else, they want to get inside."

TRENDING NOW:

The brown marmorated stink bug started showing up in Pennsylvania back in 1996. Once the bugs got here, they never left and now they have multiplied.
"The warmer winters and the warmer summers that we've had consecutively over the past couple years have allowed them to reproduce," Witt said.
There is some good news. The pests may be a pain in the neck, but they aren't harmful.
"They can cause a little bit of an allergic reaction but it's rare,” Witt said. “They don't bite, they're just very annoying."
Unfortunately, stink bugs aren't easy to eliminate, so it's best to focus on prevention. If you see light getting through your door or window frame, that's a crack or crevice you want to seal.
You can also change exterior lighting to more of a yellow bulb, which can attract less flying insects, like stink bugs.
 

Cox Media Group

Most Read