If You See a Stink Bug in Your House, Don’t Step on It

When you see a creepy crawler around your house, your first instinct may be to crush it. However, experts warn that this is not the right step for every insect. There is one flaw in particular that experts say you should resist the urge to step on. In order to get this insect out of your home, you must follow certain instructions. Otherwise, the situation can quickly worsen. Read on to find out which mistake to avoid, and for more unpleasant smells, smelling this in your home could mean you have termites, experts say.

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Stink bugs are light brown oval or shield-shaped insects up to 2 centimeters in length with three legs on each side. Experts warn not to step on a stink bug as – if they live up to their name – they can stink your home. “Avoid at all costs crushing smelly bugs as they tend to give off a very pungent odor,” he says Zachary Smith, President of Smith’s Pest Management. And even if you don’t step on them, the mere feeling of being threatened can make them give off a foul smell.

Experts from Paul’s Pest Control Melbourne offer similar advice. “You have to be careful!” warn them. Stink bugs “release their foul odor when threatened or squeezed. That means you have to resort to pesticides to kill them – don’t just step on them or use force.” And for more insects you can tell by smell, if you smell this in your bedroom you could have bed bugs.

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To avoid terrifying stink bugs that lead to this unpleasant odor, you need to carefully remove them. According to Smith, the best way to get rid of them is to “vacuum them up if they are already at home” and then immediately throw the vacuum bag in an outside bin.

Paul’s Pest Control experts suggest making a spray with equal parts washing-up liquid, vinegar and water. You can spray this on smelly bugs to kill them without scaring them first, but it takes about 30 to 40 minutes. They also say you can try catching smelly bugs in a container with a lid and releasing them far from your house. However, this tactic could prove challenging as they can fly and you risk scaring them in the process. And for an infestation on the horizon, if you see this in your yard, prepare for a bug invasion, says USDA.

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If you’ve noticed a few stink bugs have invaded your home, there are some preventative measures that you should take so that you don’t have to deal with any more. Smith recommends homeowners “seal off entry points in the home where there are cracks and holes, such as behind chimneys or around your siding.” Pest expert Natalie Barrett also suggests using scented essential oils that repel smelly bugs like mint. “It won’t kill them, but it will definitely keep them away,” she says. If you’d like to receive more useful information straight to your inbox, subscribe to our daily newsletter.

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If plugging all the holes in your home and using essential oils doesn’t help keep smelly bugs from making their way indoors, then it is probably time to call in an exterminator. “A professional will pinpoint the root of the problem and come up with a plan to effectively eliminate smelly defects in your home,” says Smith. Waiting too long to contact an exterminator can make the infestation worse and harder to control. And for more insects that require intervention, those terrible bugs you forgot will be back soon, warn exterminators.