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How Do Stink Bugs Get in Your House?

Stink bugs are not harmful to humans and do not bite people. They do eat fruit, but once the hardened parts of the fruit have been cut out, the rest of the fruit is still edible. They can gain access to homes through a number of ways.

Appearance
- Stink bugs can be green or shades of brown. They have a distinct shape of a shield on their back. They get their name from scent glands on the abdomen and thorax.
Pests
- The brown marmorated stink bug, which is not a native of the United States, has become a nuisance in the Mid-Atlantic region, where it destroys fruit and other farm crops. It is a pest in Japan, Korea, China and Taiwan and seems to be spreading in the United States. On warm autumn days, the bugs are attracted to the outside of homes and seek sheltering places for the winter.
Homes
- Stink bugs will get into a house through open doors, windows and cracks. Keeping your house as tightly sealed as possible will prevent them from getting in. Window and door screens should be checked for any holes. Spaces around lights in ceilings or door and window trim should be sealed with caulk to stop them from getting in. You can use a vacuum cleaner to remove stink bugs from a house, but the bugs have a distinctive, strong smell that can linger for some time in the vacuum cleaner.

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