Yes they send out scouts. These little buggers first come in one at a time in small numbers you can manage then next time out bring more of their friends. Once they inhabit an area they return year after year. According to the garden guy on WTOP radio in DC, Mr Mike McGrath, the best way to get rid of them is to capture them and put them in the freezer then flush them.
So when I managed to get the first three at the door or in one case the window( that was the Fabreez experiment) I wasn’t too surprised when last night in my mostly darkened house one swooped down on my desk light. And the game was on!
The first rule of stink bug warfare is insecticides doesn’t kill them and and the Second rule is: to crush them releases a toxic stench that will permeate the house with their most delicate of pheromones, which is like a huge invitation to other stink bugs that “THE PARTY IS ON FOLKS! COME ON DOWN”
My first thought was Mason jar. That being unavailable I made a paper cone. It was just a matter of getting that puppy to walk ( or tumble ) into the cone without agitating him into fumigation. Then once into the cone, tape up all the edges, fold down the wide mouth top and pop it into the freezer.
Ok, now Mr. McGrath didn’t exactly tell me how long the little gray, potentially smelly bug had to stay in the deep freeze, so I figure if I leave him for 24 hours or so, then flush him that at least one potential wave of stink bugs I will not have to deal with… at least this year.
One word of warning. When dealing with stink bugs any act of aggression can back fire, especially the aerosol versions.. when you spray these puppies its like they know that you are down wind.. one of their tactics. Thus if you spray them with bug spray you are either going to end up with it all over yourself or your act of aggression will make them spray your air like the little insect skunks they are.
5 comments:
I suck them up with the dust buster (not enough suction to upset them enough) it doesn't kill them, so then I flick them into the toilet bowl & flush. Seems to be doing the trick - we've been lucky that I don't have so many that this method would be useless.
This does not sound like fun! But your post is. :)
Justine, I wondered if you were having trouble up there with them. My assistant from last year lives between me and Warrenton and she told me they destroyed her garden this past summer. Up at mom's they have had the invasion for two years. I remember the invasion of those japanese ladybugs a few years ago,they used that dustbuster on them. ewwie.
Hey ZudaGay! Thanks for posting too. I gotta have fun for sure. Im really blessed that so far these little guys arent as bad as most have them but they are moving south so who knows.
Maybe one of the good things about living in the northlands is that we do not have those ugly little things! Good luck!
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