Have stink bugs been entering your chimney? Invasive brown marmorated stink bugs have become a real problem since entering the U.S. from Asia in the mid-1990s. Also called Halyomorpha halys, the pests were likely introduced as stowaways in a shipping container. It was discovered in 2015 that the St. Louis area is one of the regions where the stink bugs have become established. Below, learn more about the pests plus tips on dealing with the stink bugs in your chimney.
What do Brown Marmorated Stink Bugs Look Like?
Stink bugs are often described as shield-shaped insects. They grow to be nearly 2 cm long and typically the same approximate width. The adults can fly but aren’t good navigators because they often run smack into people’s faces. They have white stripes on their antennae and white bands on their legs. Adult stink bugs are brown, green, or grayish, depending on the species. Nymphs often change color as they grow.
When are Stink Bugs Most Active?
Beginning in fall months and sometimes throughout cold winters, stink bugs become aggressive about entering homes, in their search for warmth. Activity again peaks in spring, when the pests make their way out-of-doors to feast on plants that produce fruit.
Challenges Caused by Stink Bugs
Entering homes usually by the hundreds, stink bugs can be a dreaded nuisance. Homeowners are often driven to frustration as they spot the pests on their walls and windows. The bugs give off an unpleasant odor when swatted at. Fortunately, the pests do not put people or structures at risk.
Eradicating stink bugs is impossible and squishing them is an odorous mistake that fills the air. The fluid that smells so bad also causes stains that can be difficult to get out. The best way to deal with the stinky pests is to catch them with a tissue and flush them down the toilet. Vacuuming them up is an option, though vacuum cleaners tend to take on the bugs’ odor.
Tips to Reduce Stink Bug Invasions
If you have a direct vent fireplace, you can get a Termination Cap Cover to help keep stink bugs and other pests out.
You can install a top sealing damper on a masonry fireplace as long as it is only wood burning.
Pest management companies can best help with stink bug control by treating entry points in a home such as windows, doorways, siding joints, and soffits when activity is occurring.
Contact Clean Sweep Chimney Service
The chimney professionals at Clean Sweep Chimney Service offer comprehensive chimney services. Many of our customers have called about stink bugs in their chimney, and we can help. We also specialize in chimney inspections, chimney cover installations, masonry services, heatshield installations, fixing smoky chimneys, and much more. Call us at (636) 477- 9966 if
you have stink bugs in your chimney and for all of your chimney, fireplace, and heating stove needs.
