When should stink bug treatment be done in Avon?
Late August through mid-September is the window. That is before most stink bugs, boxelder bugs and lady beetles start hunting for winter shelter, which typically happens in September and October. Once they are inside the walls, sealing and exterior treatment can only stop the next wave, not the bugs already tucked in.
Watch the weather as well as the date. A run of cool nights followed by warm, sunny afternoons sends them to the siding. Near Lake Erie, mild fall weather can stretch the season, so homes in Avon Lake or Sheffield Lake may still see bugs gathering in late October.
How do I tell stink bugs, boxelder bugs and Asian lady beetles apart?
Brown marmorated stink bugs are mottled brown and shaped like a shield. Boxelder bugs are slimmer and black with red-orange lines. Multicolored Asian lady beetles are rounder, orange to red, with a variable number of spots. All three gather on sunny walls in fall, and the same sealing keeps all of them out.
Native lady beetles rarely come indoors in numbers, so a crowd of them in a window frame is usually the Asian species.
The three common fall invaders in Avon| Bug | What it looks like | Where you see it | Nuisance |
|---|
| Brown marmorated stink bug | Shield-shaped, mottled brown, about 5/8 inch | Sunny siding, window frames, attics, light fixtures | Strong odor when crushed or disturbed |
|---|
| Boxelder bug | Black with red-orange lines, about 1/2 inch | Foundations and walls near boxelder and maple trees | Droppings can spot curtains and walls |
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| Multicolored Asian lady beetle | Orange to red, spots vary, black M or W mark behind the head | Light-colored walls, ceiling corners, window tracks | Can pinch; yellow fluid stains and smells |
|---|
Why do stink bugs keep appearing inside in the middle of winter?
They have been in the walls and attic since fall. On a sunny winter day, or when the furnace warms an outside wall, overwintering bugs wake up, wander toward light and end up on windows and lamps. They are not breeding indoors. Each one is a bug that got in last September.
Expect a second wave in March and April as they head back outside. Letting them out a window is fine, and so is vacuuming. Treating indoors at that point does little, because the rest are still hidden in wall voids. Note which rooms they show up in: those rooms point to the gaps worth sealing before next fall.
How do I get rid of stink bugs that are already inside?
Remove them gently and do not crush them. A vacuum with a knee-high stocking stretched inside the hose catches them without filling the machine with odor, and a jar of soapy water works for a few at a time. Seal gaps around outlets, light fixtures and window trim where they keep appearing.
Light traps can help in attics and rarely used rooms. Indoor foggers and wall sprays rarely reach the bugs, and dead insects left in walls can feed carpet beetles and other pests later. The lasting fix is still the outside sealing and treatment next August.
Why are some Avon houses hit harder than others?
Location and exposure decide most of it. Houses on the edge of a subdivision, beside soybean fields, woodlots or tree lines, see more stink bugs. Tall south and west walls in full sun attract the biggest clusters, light-colored siding draws lady beetles, and boxelder trees nearby bring boxelder bugs.
Construction matters too. Vinyl siding with loose J-channel around windows, ridge and soffit vents with torn screens, and old wood clapboard on a farmhouse all leave room for bugs to crawl in. Two houses on the same street can have very different falls because of one unscreened gable vent.
