How to Get Rid of Stink Bugs in Your Home

Fall is here, leaves are turning color and falling...and stink bugs just might be invading your home. Not exactly part of the seasonal spirit, right? But it happens: when the climate gets cooler, stink bugs will look for places indoors they can hunker down for the winter. And while they don't pose a health risk for you, they're sure annoying! So it's important for you to know how to get rid of stink bugs in your home.

Luckily, it's not too hard, and there are plenty of ways to prevent it from happening at all! We've put together a guide for you, so you'll know just what to do this fall to avoid the bugs. Keep your house bug-free and cozy: here's how to get rid of stink bugs.

We hope you find these products as awesome as we do. Just an FYI: We are a participant in the Amazon affiliate program, and may receive a share of sales from links on this page. Prices on Amazon fluctuate so anything mentioned below might change as soon we publish it!
We hope you find these handy products as awesome as we do. Just an FYI: we participate in affiliate programs, and may receive a share of sales from links on this page.

Turn off your lights.

Not all of them, mind you. But in the evenings, turning off your porch lights and pulling down your window blinds can do a world of good, since stink bugs are attracted to light.

Try different lightbulbs, too.

Yellow bulbs and sodium-vapor lights are both known to be less alluring for insects, and sodium-vapor lights also reduce light pollution, so try installing either of those instead!

Cut off their food sources.

Make sure you’re storing all your food in airtight containers and dispose of your garbage on a regular schedule in sealed receptacles. For good measure, wipe down counters and sweep floors too. Cut off access to food, and the stink bugs leave!

Seal all entry points.

Are there any obvious cracks or openings in your home? Around window frames, door frames, wood siding, or electric outlets, for instance? A good silicone-based caulk will make short work of any cracks, and keep stink bugs from entering your home.

Vacuum the bugs!

If stink bugs have already breached your home, dispose of them via the vacuum cleaner. Just make sure you throw out the vacuum bag immediately after vacuuming the bugs, since dead stink bugs will—as the name suggests—stink up your house.

Need a home remedy?

No problem. You’ll need hot water, dish soap, and white vinegar for this task. Fill a spray bottle with two cups of hot water, one cup of the vinegar, and half a cup of dish soap, then spray the stink bugs directly with the mixture.

Properly ventilate your home.

Basements, garages, attics, and other crawl spaces need to be properly ventilated; you might want to use a dehumidifier in these areas! 

Screens and sweeps!

Make sure all of your window and door screens are either replaced or repaired and place additional screens over your chimney and attic vents if you have them. Plus, you can install door sweeps to stop bugs from coming in that way!

Minimize moisture.

Make sure you don’t have any leaking pipes or clogged drains in your house, because moisture buildup will attract any number of pests!

If all else fails, there’s chemical assistance.

Is nothing else working? Then plenty of chemical sprays—like this one—contain the pesticide deltamethrin, which kills stink bugs. Spray around spots where bugs gather to kill off the stink bugs invading your home.