Virginia is an area with high concentration of stink bugs.
Stink bugs do not sting, damage houses or spread diseases, but they destroy crops and gardens, and release a bad smell when threatened. They are a nuisance when they enter houses and other structures searching shelter on cold days
It is very hard to get rid of an infestation of stink bugs, but a few actions can reduce the problem:
- Call your pest control professionals as soon as you start seeing stink bugs at your house and order a perimeter treatment. Stink bugs release pheromones that attract other stink bugs, so if you wait until the stink bugs settle in, the infestation will be very hard to be controlled.
- Protect doors and windows with screens (some homeowners found useful rubbing drier sheets on screens, as the smell repels the stink bugs).
- Fix any gap or holes where they could enter the house.
- Once stink bugs have entered the house, it is necessary to get rid of them: use vacuums with bags, so you can dispose of the bags. Stink bugs are slow and fall forward if touched, so they can be also wiped in to a container with water and soap, or simply pick them up with a plastic/paper towel and toss them outside (they freeze in low temperatures) or flush them.