Organic Stink Bug Control Doesn’t Have to Stink

March 8th, 2010 Posted in Ornamental & Lawn Pests



There’s nothing like waking up early and heading out into your garden and breathing in….

Stink bug. Gross.


stink

When these pests land in your garden, you want to get them out at quick as possible. Fortunately, there are methods of organic stink bug control that can help.

Read on to learn:



What They Look Like

There are all kinds of pests that can be crawling around your garden, it’s important to know exactly which insect you’re dealing with.

So if it’s stink bugs, what will they look like?

There are many types of stink bugs, that come in a variety of colors. But there are some common characteristics that stink bugs share.

Adult stink bugs are:

  • Shield shaped

  • Either brown or green

  • Some have red, pink or yellow markings

In the winter, these adult bugs hibernate under leaves or on certain crops and weeds. You will start to see them in March and April. This is also the time they begin to lay eggs and when you should start thinking about organic stink bug control.

How to spot stink bug eggs

Even if you have not seen an adult stink bug, a good indication an infestation is on its way are clusters of eggs around you garden.

Eggs are drum shaped with circular lids and the females lay them in clusters onto leaves.


mother stink bug

Now that you know how to spot them, what threat do they pose to your garden?



What Crops They Feed On

Squash bugs attack squash, pantry pests attack your pantries and stink bugs love tomatoes.

Several species of stink bug flock to tomatoes.


bug on tomato

Stink bugs feed on tomatoes by piercing the flesh with their mouthparts and sucking out the juice. What’s left after they’ve satisfied their appetite are whitish-yellow spots underneath the tomatoes’ skin.

If you’ve ever seen tomatoes with spots, you’ll know how unappetizing they look.

As stink bugs continue on their destructive path, they may move on to green fruit in your garden. The damage on these fruits look like tiny pin pricks with a discolored area (either yellow or greenish) surrounding them.

Once you see damaged fruit on your property, it’s time to break out the organic pesticide and stop the stink bugs.



How to Get Rid of Them

If you see stink bugs in your garden, turn around immediately, run inside and start sealing off your home! You do not want these smelly pests to get indoors.

Look for cracks in:

  • siding

  • window

  • doors

  • behind chimneys

Then cover up or caulk these holes so they don’t become stink bug doorways.

Also, stink bugs are attracted to light, so try closing the shades at night to discourage them from moving towards your home.

IMPORTANT: Do not squash or vacuum stink bugs you find in the home.

This usually makes the smell worse and can linger longer in the air. Also, if you try to handle them yourself, they can bite. While their bites aren’t dangerous, they do hurt.

A better solution is to turn to organic pesticide products to rid yourself of this smelly problem.

The key to organic stink bug control is knowing what they look like, what they’re after in your garden and how to use organic stink bug control to get rid of them.

Once you’ve done that, head outside, breathe easy and take a bite into a homegrown tomato.


megan-ahern

  1. 32 Comments | The First 1,000 to Comment (Starting 12/21/2009) Will Become EcoSMART Product Testers!

  2. By Stephanie Anderson on Apr 5, 2010

    Do any of your products work on repelling stinkbugs from coming inside?

  3. By EcoSMART Megan on Apr 5, 2010

    Dear Stephanie Anderson,

    The best way to keep stinkbugs outside is by sealing off any cracks into the home.

    Also, if you have plants that attract stink bugs (such as tomato plants) near your home, this may attract them.

    Try the http://www.ecosmart.com/shop/value-bundles/safe-plant-garden-bundle-with-bonus-repellent.html” rel=”nofollow”>Safe Plant & Garden Value Bundle to kill any in your garden.

  4. By Yoav Chudnoff on May 5, 2010

    Well, we have stink bugs in the house. We live in a house that was built in 1914, so there are many cracks and thus many ways for these rascals to get in, which product would you recommend? We are currently catching and disposing, but still many in the house. Looking forward to your help (obviously we would prefer NOT using an exterminator for obvious reasons).

  5. By L. Mac on May 27, 2010

    Are there any natural predators of the stink bug, like bats, or are they all repulsed by the odor? Is it true that the stink bugs eat ladybugs?

  6. By Sandra Williams on Aug 1, 2010

    The only natural preditor of the stinkbug I know of is the wolf spider. That is the big, scarey, but harmless spider you find in your garden or in fields, sometimes in your house. I have seen them kill squashbugs (a form of stinkbug. If you shine a flashlight out over an expanse of grass or weeds you sometimes see the wolf spiders eyes shining.

  7. By Laura Gritman on Aug 11, 2010

    Yes, I’d like to know if there are any natural enemies, too. Also, if stink bugs are repelled by garlic, shouldn’t a garlic spray like Mosquito Barrier work to get rid of them? My tomatoes really took a hit from stink bugs this spring, and since I’m getting ready for a fall planting, I’d like to prevent the same damage from happening again. I garden organically, of course. Thanks.

  8. By Jeanetta Reed on Aug 17, 2010

    I just discovered stink bugs on my summer squash plants — a ‘ton’ of them……HELP!

  9. By sherman syner on Aug 31, 2010

    Good tips.

  10. By Giulia T Gustafson on Sep 19, 2010

    HATE STINKBUGS please help me get them out of my life!

  11. By kristine on Sep 22, 2010

    OMG how in the heck do i get rid of stink bugs…..never had them before….they are ruining all my tomatoes…..HELP!!!!!

  12. By jessica on Oct 31, 2010

    Hi – I really need to know if stink bugs eat lady bugs. Every year for 15 years each october we have had a swarm of ladybugs which we love. This year we have tons of stink bugs, and the lady bugs have not swarmed yet – Thank you

  13. By Giulia T Gustafson on Nov 23, 2010

    I still hate stink bugs, they have managed to hide in everything I find them everywhere now that they are no longer around because of the cold… it’s like a revenge, you think you are done with them, but YOU ARE NOT !!!!!!! HELP

  14. By judy on Jan 6, 2011

    i have a vegetable garden and had a small stinkbug problem with the tomatoes only. But now I have a huge problem in my house. Like the above, it is an old house with too many possible cracks to use caulk on. Has anyone successfully used any of the eco /non-lethal chemical sprays?

  15. By Regina Morris on Jan 14, 2011

    My house, which is a log house, is now completely infested with stink bugs. Help!!!!!!!!!!

  16. By Michelle on Jan 28, 2011

    Stink bugs came down from the attic in all my Christmas boxes. They have come out of hibernation in the warm house. Just when we think we’ve flushed the last of them, more appear – usually 3-4 each day. They have landed on dinner plates, in glasses of milk, soda, etc. I just discovered they have all but destroyed my 31 year old spider plants and my huge (over 3 feet in diameter) houseplants are being decimated. HELP

  17. By EcoSMART Kait on Feb 2, 2011

    Hi Michelle,

    I would recommend trying EcoSMART products as a safe and organic way to control stink bugs. You can find them in Home Depot or Walmart or buy them online from EcoSMART’s website (www.ecosmart.com). After you’ve gotten rid of them, be sure to seal up any cracks in your home. Some common places cracks are found are in siding, windows and doors. If you have a chimney, you’ll want to look for cracks there, too.

  18. By lynnie on Feb 12, 2011

    16 Comments | The First 1,000 to Comment (Starting 12/21/2009) Will Become EcoSMART Product Testers!

    I am interested in this, if you want us to test it on stinkbugs. I live in NJ, the part that gives it the name “Garden State”. I used to say it was like the Garden of Eden, but not any more.

  19. By Melanie M. on Feb 22, 2011

    Very interested in becoming a product tester. These little ’stinkers’ destroyed half my tomato plants last year, including my beloved Momotaro plants. This year – it’s WAR. I found this powdered, home-made repellant: grind dried black pepper, red pepper, chili pepper, ginger and paprika. I will be using it, the EcoSMART garden spray, and my usual tricks of human hair and red pepper flakes to keep the deer and rabbits from chowing down.

    Normally, I’d have no problem sharing a little of the bounty with the native wildlife, but with the stink bugs around? There’s little left to share.

  20. By Cherie on Mar 3, 2011

    I too live in the garden part of the garden state. And I love growing tomatoes and refuse to stop growing them because of stink bugs. however, those little monsters have to go.

    I followed the link for the organic pesticide but there were multiple choices. Which one is best for stink bugs? Can any of them be used inside a house? (My attic is full of them).

  21. By Jennifer Brinker on Mar 5, 2011

    I linked to this website looking for stinkbug answers, and found that plus so much more! While we’re only in the beginning stages of stinkbug infestation, I wanted to be prepared (not even knowing they would be ruining my summer vegetable crops)when the warmer weather sets in. For now, I just wanted to get them out of the house! Glad to know there is more to do to be prepared for a good gardening season.

  22. By Kathy on Mar 6, 2011

    I own a very old house also! We have had a problem with the bugs for the past two yrs.

    We have recently had all new windows and doors and they still come in.

    If the window is shut they become trapped between the screen and window, either wanting in or out depending on the cold factor.

    I have found them, in number, under where the bristles of your broom meet the plastic protector. They hide and hibernate in obscure, dark, warm places.

    Last fall, (2010) we took our window air-conditioners out weeks before the end of summer since we noticed them hoarding to the heat and access to our home. They new winter was coming like a bird that flies south.

    Spring of this year, (2011) as the weather is starting to become warm, any that stole their way in are starting to make their presence known.

    They are extremely smart, they make sure they stay within a quarter inch of the ceiling so you can not hit them… I found a remedy for that, ha ha, Windex. Spray them and they fall to where you can better pick them up with tissue and boot their butt out the nearest window.

    You can kill them with Windex but it takes a lot. However, when you clean your windows almost daily with the stuff, they won’t come near. (very clean windows though)

    No real answers, sorry, just some tips!

  23. By Tara on Mar 9, 2011

    I have stinkbugs hibernating in my house and would like to eradicate them, too. The population seems to be multiplying at a rapid pace. My children and their friends are tired of dodging the unwanted critters. What products do you recommend for a household with dogs and children? Additionally, how should we treat houseplants? I have a beautiful Christmas Cactus and continually find stinkbugs in and around the plant.

  24. By EcoSMART Kait on Mar 9, 2011

    Hi Tara,

    All of our products are safe for people and pets. I would recommend trying EcoSMART Flying Insect Killer. Some customers have reported that EcoSMART Ant & Roach Killer has been very successful at getting rid of stink bugs, too. If you want to put a perimeter around your home, too, try EcoSMART Home Pest Control (64 oz). For your plants, you should use EcoSMART Garden Insect Killer. Good luck!

  25. By Nick Monaco on Mar 9, 2011

    We began getting mobbed with stink bugs late last summer and even after winter came and the windows and doors have been closed up, we still find more nearly every day. There were hundreds of them in the house. I hate them and don’t look forward to summer because of them. We have pets and Grandkids and don’t want to use anything that will harm them.

  26. By Stink Bug on Mar 30, 2011

    Not all stink bugs feed on tomatoes. Some feed on other insects, plants, and other fruit similar to tomatoes. Just thought I would let people know in case they thought they were safe from stink bugs.

  27. By J Boyd on Apr 3, 2011

    Help
    Last year the stinkbugs completely took over my gardens and no sprays or repellents could make a difference. What can I do early on to prevent this again?
    JB

  28. By Chuck Lee on Apr 5, 2011

    I HATE stinkbugs!!! Last year in the early summer I bought a young weeping cherry tree, beautiful white flowers, nice waterfall of branches filled with leaves — for about 2 weeks. That’s how long it took for the stinkbugs to defoliate the tree. There were a few leaves left (like less than 10) on the whole tree. Thank God it is flowering now but I fear what will happen when those nice leaves come on shortly. HELP!!!

  29. By EcoSMART Kait on Apr 8, 2011

    Hi JB,

    This year you will need to start spraying early and often. Remember to keep your lights out at night to avoid attracting stink bugs. You can also try releasing tachinia flies or parasitoid wasps, which will eat the stink bugs. Good luck.

  30. By amy m on Apr 26, 2011

    My tomato crop last year was completely done in by the blessed things, after they moved on from the cucumbers earlier. I’d love to be a tester for anything that might deter them in the vegi garden.

  31. By Mary S. on May 12, 2011

    Just bought our first home, a log cabin in VA. The stinkbugs are coming in by the 100’s. They just seem to magically appear…I can’t even tell where they come in. I clear one room and w/in an hr it’s populated again.

    Going to try spraying eucalyptus oil on the windows outside…but prob. won’t work. Please help!

  32. By Maryland Stink Bugs on Jul 15, 2011

    I’m glad to find you. I have a site which I use to talk about the battle I’ve been having with them in MD. I need some organic solutions.

  33. By Amy Ma on Sep 12, 2011

    They seem to only come inside in the second floor of our house in the spring. I can’t leave the windows open. Now I see them in the trees right outside our house and crawling on our house so I know they are gearing up to come inside when the weather gets cool again.

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