stinkbugs!

October 7, 2007 11:44 AM

Stinkbugs are invading!

these little buggers keep climbing through the seams of the window in my room. Apparently they like to sneak into warm places when the nights start getting cold. They aren't particularly malignant, but are annoying -- especially when they crawl on me while I am sleeping. And there are at least four or five new ones each day.

I went through the same thing last year, but just kind of stuck it out, and they go away after a few weeks. But I ended up cleaning dozens of dead bugs and bug parts from my windowsill, and it was goddamn disgusting.

They can smell nasty when you squish or try to pick them up with a napkin, so I've been sucking them up with the vacuum. Also, I think the smell tends to attract more of them. Anyone have any tips to deal with this? I tried to duct tape off some of the seams of the window temporarily, but it didn't seem to help. Maybe there is a good repellent?

posted by Herschel to Home & Garden (3 answers total)

Did you duct tape around the entire window? You might have to do that. We had to duct tape the entire lower half of a door in a house we rented in order to keep earwigs out one fall.

If you tape off the whole window and more keep coming in, then they're coming from somewhere else.
posted by sugarfish at 11:50 AM on October 7, 2007

Not sure if it works on stinkbugs, but diatomaceous earth is usually pretty effective in this kind of situation.
posted by Reggie Digest at 12:14 PM on October 7, 2007

You can try painting a thick line of dishing soap all around the window seams. Works with ants and easy to wash off after the invasion is over.
posted by Eringatang at 1:30 PM on October 7, 2007