If I see one more stink bug I'm gonna scream!!!!!

I don't know how many people here are dealing with this (I think it's mainly the central northeast) but my area is literally infested with this little SOBs. I can deal with seeing a ton of them outside since, after all, that IS their habitat. But the last few weeks they have been coming inside in swarms and they are driving me insane! Not only do they really stink, even before you kill them, but they get into everything. You pick up a glass or a paper and you will find one. I've found them inside our clothes drawers, in our cabinets, everywhere!

I know most of our problem is this house is old and not well insulated so they have a lot of places they can sneak in. But even people with newer houses are being invaded. Anyone else here have this problem and how do you deal with it?

Eeewwww! Thankfully, I've only ever seen one in my life and that was years ago in the neighbour's yard (if it's the same insect I'm thinking of). I don't think we get that many here.
I hope they stop soon and you can get rid of them.

Yes they are getting into my house too. Creepy. I am dealing with them with a swift and decisive kill. I am all kinds of tolerant to bugs OUTSIDE, but when they come INSIDE their time is up. Ick.

Are you talking about the large dark pinacate beetles or the green or grey small bugs of the hemiptera order? The former you might be able to keep out with a barrier spray. The latter, like all of the true bugs, are extremely resistant to pesticides.

All I can suggest is to clean up around the outside of your home.

I see stink bugs all the time here in Central NC, and I just leave them be. They don't get stinky if I don't squish them, and they don't bother anything since they don't bite or sting, so I let them live.

I think they are sort of cool, looking like little armoured tank beetles.

I'd almost rather have them in the house (and I do) than the hoardes of ladybugs that are soon to follow - THOSE little stinkers come into the house by the hundreds, and I am picking up ladybug carcasses for MONTHS.

I live in Central MA and I've had two of the Northern Leaffooted bugs (relatives of the stink bug) get inside in the last couple of weeks. I've also noticed them a couple of times clinging to the outside of my window screens, but I didn't give any of it much thought until I read your post, Calico2222.

I shudder to think of them coming inside in droves. They're nasty, long-legged, hard-shelled, winged nightmares.

Originally Posted by GingersMom

I see stink bugs all the time here in Central NC, and I just leave them be. They don't get stinky if I don't squish them, and they don't bother anything since they don't bite or sting, so I let them live.

I think they are sort of cool, looking like little armoured tank beetles.

I'd almost rather have them in the house (and I do) than the hoardes of ladybugs that are soon to follow - THOSE little stinkers come into the house by the hundreds, and I am picking up ladybug carcasses for MONTHS.

Click to expand...

This reminds me of an incident at the house of one of my sisters. She has this same problem every year (but, go figure - I only live 45 mins away and I never do)... and one year when I was visiting, we whipped up a batch of her lovely coffee and took our first very-anticipated sips.... only to have her spit hers halfway across the room.

Somehow, without either of us seeing it, a ladybug had crawled or flown into her cup. Naturally, she sucked it in with the very first sip. *cough, choke, gag*

We joke about it all the time, but with only half-hidden shudders.

I don't ever kill stinkbugs...and I think they're cute. However, they'd probably become much less cute in large numbers invading my home.

Yep we have them bad at work. I flush them. They are so freaking annoying!

They make great cat toys.

Seriously, we also have tons of them. We've always had a few in the house all year-round, but now, they're all over. I never used to see them outside, but now, they're all over out there, too. They even fly into my car, and "ride" on the outside!

On the plus side, I've not had 1 Japanese beetle outside, and have seen very, very few pests in my garden. DH said stink bugs eat many of those.

They really don't hurt humans. Exterminators say they are very difficult to get rid of. I even read where an exterminator said to "Just think of them as little pets." Uh-huh.

In fact, a little guy has been on the lampshade as I type this. I think he's taking cover from 9 cats...

I really hate their smell; it smells lliek cilantro, the herb, which I loathe!

Originally Posted by MargeCat

On the plus side, I've not had 1 Japanese beetle outside, and have seen very, very few pests in my garden. DH said stink bugs eat many of those.

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Only four of the hemiptera shield bugs that get called "stink bugs" are carnivorous - and iirc, only one of those is in North America. It's black and red/orange. All of the other hemiptera that are stink bugs are plant eaters and major crop pests. If you've ever dealt with squash bugs, they're another stinky close relative.

The pinacate, like other darkling beetles, eat plants and grains. Various darkling larvae are also considered pests.

Originally Posted by GingersMom

I see stink bugs all the time here in Central NC, and I just leave them be. They don't get stinky if I don't squish them, and they don't bother anything since they don't bite or sting, so I let them live.

I think they are sort of cool, looking like little armoured tank beetles.

I'd almost rather have them in the house (and I do) than the hoardes of ladybugs that are soon to follow - THOSE little stinkers come into the house by the hundreds, and I am picking up ladybug carcasses for MONTHS.

Click to expand...

Oh, we get the ladybugs (or ladybug looking critters) too, but I don't mind them as much. Maybe because they aren't as ugly? lol. But, these are also by the hundreds here right now. I know they are harmless but they just annoy me being inside. Let's just say the vaccuum is my friend right now.

Here's a link to a story (with a pic if someone's not sure what they look like).

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/27/us/27stinkbug.html

I have an occasional stink bug in the house, knock on wood, would not want an infestation though. They are so docile, you can just scoop them up and toss them out. One year the entire front and side of my house was covered with lady bugs, and lady bug larvae, if thats what they are called. Not many came inside though.

I try not to kill insects, with the one exception being bottle nosed flies. The shiny green ones that were just on my neighbors pile of dog crap they never pick up. I take great pleasure in killing them. UGH

I hate them and they make my skin crawl. I've heard they are bad in certain parts this year, especially the central northeast. I've had a few, but have seen worse here. What comes next is what really fills me with dread..

the asian lady beetles.

I wonder if those up there are rhaphigaster nebulosa? It doesn't sound like they'd be good for a cat to munch on. We have the green ones around here and they rarely slip inside. Any true bug that does usually gets tossed out or flushed (no need to save a pest that can't be fed to anything) since some of them can actually make an animal a bit sick.

Again, you can try a barrier spray and DE.

I see these things too. They are all over my car... argh

We get them here as well but not in large numbers, I always say that they are aliens as the green ones seem to have green blood, I dont usually kill them just throw them out of the house if they get in.

I hear you......they're here, too, much to the delight of the cats. Not so much for us. I keep killing the little buggers, but we're outnumbered. They love the ceilings and flying around the draperies. Ick.

Soon to follow....ladybugs! Not really fond of them either. One or two are OK, but those things come in in droves.

UGH Ladybugs!!! I cant stand them, they are pretty outside but when Ive got flying cats potentially hurting themselves jumping around trying to kill them thats when I get annoyed. I still find ladybug bodies in hidey holes that I suck up with the sweeper. So far (knock on wood) we have only had 2 stink bugs in the house, one is dead and the other is trapped in between the window and screen and has made for some entertaining tv for GiGi and Hercules on the back of the couch. Bf said they were in the house because our house smells but I had his friend come inside and do a walk thru of our house pre cleaning and before I lit our candles and he said that even with 3 litter boxes he cant tell we have cats and doesnt smell anything funky. So eat those cookies BF your wrong our house does not smell, I was ready to bust out a whole bottle of bleach and remove all the furniture and clean like a mad woman...Not that I dont clean, our house is very clean but BFs version of clean is hospital sterile and mine is clean but still looking like actual humans live here.

The ladybugs are not really lady bugs, they are asian lady beetles. Another government experiment gone wrong.

I get them by the thousands in October and then they breed in my ceiling and walls all winter so I ahve them by the thousands in my apartment too.

A few years ago I found these:

http://www.gardeners.com/Asian-Ladyb...efault,cp.html

and these traps have made a difference.