CANTON TWP., Mich. (WXYZ) — As temperatures begin to cool across Michigan, experts say homeowners can expect to see an increase in brown marmorated stink bugs searching for sheltered places to spend the winter.
For many residents, that means the insects may start appearing on windows, screens and even inside homes.
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Mary Arrasmith is already keeping an eye on her garden for signs of the pests.
"I hate when they get on the screens and stuff and then trying to flick them off," Arrasmith said.
While stink bugs can cause minor damage to fruits and vegetables, experts say their annual migration indoors tends to draw the most attention.
"They're just looking for a place to spend the wintertime," said Dr. David Lowenstein, a consumer horticulture educator with Michigan State University Extension.
Lowenstein said the brown marmorated stink bug has become a common part of the region's environment.
"The reality is that now brown marmorated stink bug is our most abundant stink bug species that we have in the area," Lowenstein said. "It's just going to be a part of our environment."
Many homeowners are tempted to crush stink bugs when they find them indoors, but doing so can release the odor that gives the insect its name.
"It is a smell, but it's not repulsive," said Mark VanderWerp, manager of education and training for Rose Pest Solutions. "It's not like a fart spray."
VanderWerp said the insects seek protected areas where they can survive the winter and often hide inside walls and other sheltered spaces.
"They overwinter as adults, so they're looking for protected shelters," he said.
Experts recommend taking preventive measures before the bugs find their way indoors. Homeowners can seal cracks and openings, install screens and cover vents with hardware cloth to block potential entry points.
"You can actually use the same thing that you use to exclude squirrels and rodents," VanderWerp said. "They're wide enough that they don't fit through quarter-inch hardware cloth."
For homes that already have stink bugs inside, Lowenstein recommends simple removal methods rather than chemical treatments.
"If you're finding them inside of your home in large numbers, vacuuming them away or setting up a small trap with some dish soap and soapy water in there with a light above them — where they bump into the light and fall into the trap — would be all that you need," Lowenstein said.
Arrasmith said the homemade trap idea was one she had not considered.
"I always think that for little gnats and things," she said.
Experts stress that stink bugs do not bite, sting or pose a direct threat to people. However, homeowners bothered by the insects may find prevention and removal techniques helpful during the fall migration season.
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