In New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and the Eastern Shore of Maryland summer bugs can be a problem. Ticks, mosquitoes, ants, and stinging insects can all be nuisances both inside and outside your home. But as summer comes to a close, there’s another insect that is going to become a problem for folks in NJ, PA, MD, and DE, and this is the stink bug. In fact, some researchers believe that this year will bring an explosion in the stink bug population, with farms and homeowners along the East Coast seeing a significant portion of the population increase. This invasive insect was introduced into PA in the late ‘90s and it has been spreading throughout New England, the mid-Atlantic coast, and other parts of the US ever since. During the summer, they feed on a variety of fruit and ornamental trees, often causing problems for farmers. In the autumn, they huddle around the south-facing walls of structures, looking for a place to spend the winter. If they can find entry points, they will begin entering homes, office buildings, and warehouses, looking for shelter during the colder months. Are you ready for the stink bug invasion? Here are a few tips to prevent stink bugs from entering your home or business from the local extermination experts at Viking Pest Control.
To prevent stink bugs, following these tips is essential:
Make your property an impenetrable fortress. If these insects can’t find a way in, there is no way they will become a problem for you indoors. You can do this by very carefully examining the exterior of your home or business to look for any holes or gaps that can let insects through. Check window and door screens, areas around windows and doors, areas around pipes and utility wires that come inside, as well as gaps and cracks in your foundation. Mend these holes or have them filled to reduce possible entry areas for stink bugs and other insects.
Remove outdoor lighting that may attract stink bugs and other insects. If you don’t want to remove the lights altogether, just remember to avoid turning them on at night, especially not for long periods of time. Keep your windows covered with blinds or shades at night too, as the indoor light can attract stink bugs indoors as well.
Reduce vegetation around your home or business. If you have trees or bushes touching the sides of your structure, you’re essentially creating a ‘bridge’ that these insects can use to climb onto. This makes it that much easier for them to find a way to get inside.
Contact a pest control professional, like Viking Pest, to apply the appropriate pest control treatment to the exterior of your home or business before these insects become a problem. Knowledgeable exterminators like the professionals at Viking Pest Control know the appropriate time and place to apply these treatments to prevent these pests from entering your structure in the fall.
If you have already started to see stink bugs inside, contact the NJ, PA, MD, and DE pest control professionals at Viking Pest Control to apply a preventative treatment to the exterior of your structure to limit any further infestation. Otherwise, you may be spending your winter and early spring vacuuming up stink bugs that are overwintering inside.
For more information on stink bug identification and our stink bug services for homes and businesses in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and the Eastern Shore of Maryland, please fill out the free estimate form on this page or give us a call at 800-618-2847 today.