Stink bugs: Why are there so many around in NY right now? How to get rid of them

The stink bugs are coming out of the woodwork in New York…literally.

You may think stink bug season is over once the snow hits the ground, but you’d be wrong. Yes, they’re very active in the fall as they crawl into homes looking for warm places to spend the winter. But in the spring, they often make themselves known again as the weather warms up. They are most active from March to September.

Brown marmorated stink bugs, which are the ones you’re most likely to see on your window screens and fruit trees in New York, are an invasive species in the U.S., introduced from Asia in the 1990s.

The bugs are about a half inch in length, have wings and will emit a foul odor if you threaten or squish them. People have described it as a skunk or coriander smell.

You may find them chomping away on fruit left out on the counter, crawling around your windows and door jams or hanging out on your siding.

Here’s what to know about them and how to go on the offensive if they’re taking over your home or garden.

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They're ruining agriculture.

The stink bug’s damaging effect on crops can be described as "scabs" and bruising on fruits and veggies.

As of 2021, New York was one of 10 states listed as having “severe agricultural and nuisance problems reported” from brown marmorated stink bugs, according to pest website StopBMSB.org, run by the Northeastern Integrated Pest Management Center.

Most of the bug’s worst damage is concentrated in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic. Every one of the contiguous 48 states except two (Wyoming and South Dakota) had detected the pest’s presence in 2021.

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They find creative ways into houses.

Stink bugs can find their way inside through cracks in screens, door jams, roofs or walls. To make your home stinkbug-proof, check around windows and doors for small openings, both indoors and outdoors. Seal or caulk those if you find them. Check sliding glass doors for proper weather stripping.

They like plants.

If you live near a wooded area or have a vegetable garden, your home may have a higher risk of stink bugs, and they may love congregating in potted plants indoors.

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They also like fruit.

When you buy fruit from the grocery store, keep it in a bag or a refrigerator till you're ready to eat it to cut down on the possibility of a stink bug feast, according to All American Pest Control, Inc. 

They won't bite you, harm your pets or ruin your carpet.

Stink bugs don't pose any danger to humans or animals, and won't destroy indoor non-plant material.

Vacuum them at your own risk.

Vacuuming stink bugs makes for a quick and clean disposal, but beware: your vacuum might stink afterward.

You can buy or make stink bug traps.

Stink bugs like light and they can't swim, so a desk lamp with a tub of soapy water underneath it works as an impromptu stink bug trap. You can also buy lighted stink bug traps at local hardware stores. But make sure you empty the trap frequently or it might become a home for maggots.

If all else fails, call an exterminator.

Exterminators can spray the exterior of a severely infested house with chemicals that kill insects on contact.

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Stink bugs: Why so many in NY right now? How to deal with them