They can be found on the walls, in the lights above, and on the ground below! Unfortunately, these three-quarter-inch creatures are taking over the mid-Atlantic by storm and they may be coming to a household near you! Last summer, worst cases of the enemy were reported in homes in West Virginia, Virginia, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.

The enemy is the mighty stink bug.  These bugs have glands that produce a defensive compound to repel predators and give off a pungent smell when they are frightened, disturbed, or squashed!

How do we combat the stink bug?

At the Morgantown office, our iconic Nilfisk GM80 came to the rescue! Although one of our smaller vacuum cleaners, it does a big job of capturing these little creatures! Office staff simply attach a steel wand to the end of the hose, power the GM80 up, and suck the stink bugs up. Remember to tape or plug the end of the wand when the job is finished so that the bugs do not wander out of the vacuum! Finally, do not forget to dispose and change the paper bag (or other collection method) periodically or an unpleasant smell of stink bugs will come out of the exhaust!

Other tips from ABC News:

• Caulk cracks: Stink bugs can flatten themselves down to a very narrow profile in order to wiggle through the smallest household cracks and get inside your home.
• Use window screening: cover ridge vents and other necessary openings in your home with window screening so there is still air circulation, but so that stink bugs cannot get in.
• Treat your attic: Stink bugs like attics. Some pest control contractors are experimenting with setting off pesticide “bombs” in these uninhabited spaces, but you should know that studies have shown stink bugs have the bizarre ability to appear dead from pesticides and then come back to life a few days later.
• Use insecticidal soap: Making your vegetable garden and house plants unpalatable to stink bugs may help. Insecticidal soap sprays are available at nurseries and less toxic than full-fledged pesticides.

Vacuums making homes cleaner; one bug at a time …