American Pest Talks About Stink Bugs and Biological Pest Control!

Brown marmorated stink bugs haven’t made many friends since they hitched a ride to the United States in package crates from Southeast Asia. After the discovery of their presence in Allentown, PA in the late 1990’s-early 2000’s, the reasons to dislike them kept growing. With no natural predators, but plenty of food sources in the United States, they’ve spread rapidly in the past decade. Over thirty states have reported sightings of the annoying pests, and stink bugs are only going to continue spreading. 

In addition to their creepy-crawly nature, their tendency to hole up in our homes in incredibly massive droves, and their stinky defense mechanism, brown marmorated stink bugs are considered a severe agricultural pest. They have caused millions of dollars in damage to crops, especially apples, peaches, and pears. 

There is hope on the horizon for getting rid of America’s stink bug problem. The US Department of Agriculture is currently researching natural stink bug predators from Southeast Asia in an effort to establish a biological control over stink bug populations in the United States. Biological pest control is the regulation of insect populations that function without human involvement.

It sounds like a great plan to keep those smelly pests out of your house and out of the agriculture industry, but don’t get too excited yet. The Department of Agriculture’s research on insect predators is going to take years to determine whether new insect species can be introduced into the North American region to eliminate stink bugs without a negative impact on other species in our region’s ecosystem.

Biological controls have worked in the past to control many other pests in the United States. The alfafa weevil was the prevalent pest of alfalfa crops in the Northeast United States until parasite species were introduced as a biological control, and the alfalfa blotch leafminer was also controlled by introduced parasite species after they began spreading beyond the Northeast region.

If stink bugs have taken over your home, and you want to do something about them now, American Pest has some tips to offer you some relief.

1.       Control Pest Entry

If you leave windows open during nice weather, check the screens for tears or holes, and have them repaired. Also check the foundation around your home for cracks, gaps, or openings, which can mostly be sealed with caulk, expanding foam, or copper wire mesh. Finally, chimney caps, gable vents, and exhaust fan vents can be filled with hardware cloth.

2.       Know  Your Pest’s Stomping Grounds

If you are trying to determine where in your house stink bugs are likely to be drawn to, there are three places to keep in mind. Like many pests intent on ruining your day, stink bugs are drawn to bright lighting, so keep an eye on chandeliers, lamps, and florescent lighting. Also check your indoor plants, stink bugs may hide under plant leaves for protection.  Finally, be on the lookout for the presence of standing water, especially in sink drains and the bath tub.

Until biological controls can be put in place to combat stink bugs, American Pest hopes you are able to find relief from these stinky pests with these tips.

For more information about how American Pest we can help solve your stink bug problems, contact us today at 1-877-282-1886, or fill out our online contact form.