It happens every fall – stink bugs infest New Jersey homes in an attempt to secure a place where they can spend the winter without freezing to death- literally. While stink bugs have been in the United States for several years and first infiltrated southern New Jersey in 2005, these fall pests have spread throughout the state including the Paramus, Parsippany-Troy Hills, and other communities in northern Jersey where the trees are plentiful. With that in mind, we thought it seemed like a good idea to answer a few commonly asked questions about stink bugs.
Can you vacuum up stink bugs?
Since this is the title of our blog, let’s start with this burning question. Can you vacuum up stink bugs? If you’ve spotted a stink bug or several a quick fix is to grab up your vacuum and suck these nuisance pests right up. While that will solve the immediate problem, it does not address other stink bugs that might be looking for shelter no does it prevent them from coming into your home. We’ll discuss a better solution in just a few minutes but first, let’s get back to the vacuum.
If you choose to grab your dustbuster, Dyson, or other vacuum in order to suck up stink bugs, remember to dispose of the bag or empty the plastic container as soon as you’re finished. Remember, don’t toss the what you vacuum up in the kitchen trash. Instead seal up the contents in a bag and take it out to your outside trash receptacle.
Are stink bugs seasonal?
Stink bugs are a seasonal pest problem. In fact, they’re sort of a two-season pest problem for homeowners here in New Jersey. Fall, as we mentioned above, is when these overwintering pests start moving indoors and that is where they’ll remain until the temperatures rise in the spring. It should be noted that inside homes, stink bugs enter a hibernation-like state called diapause. During this time, their metabolism significantly slows down so that they can survive for an extended period with eating. It is worth noting that during this period of time, they do not reproduce either.
The other season for stink bug activity is spring. This is when stink bugs emerge from their overwintering sites to feed and reproduce. If they sought shelter in your home over the winter, you may notice them moving around inside as they try to find their way out.
We should mention that during the summer months, stink bugs may attack plants and crops but do not attempt to move indoors until later in August and through mid to late November.
Are stink bugs dangerous to human and pet health?
Though they are absolutely annoying when they infest your property in large numbers, they are not considered a dangerous bug.
There are species of stink bugs capable of biting but the brown marmorated stink bug, which is the species New Jersey residents must content with, do not. They also do not sting or transmit illness to people or pets.
There are also documented cases of allergic reactions in people who are sensitive to their secretions.
How do you get rid of stink bugs?
The best way to solve a stink bug problem is to prevent it from happening in the first place. Here at Arrow Pest Control, we offer professional stink bug control in Bergen, Essex, and Morris counties as well as elsewhere in our 10-county service that eliminate stink bugs. This service consists of exterior stink bug treatments and interior service and is focused in and around your home including the attic if it’s accessible. While we are on the job, we’ll seal up any potential opening that stink bugs (or any other pest, for that matter) could slip through in order to gain access to your home. We use the most advanced exclusion materials on the market for lasting protection against these pests.
Contact Arrow for help eliminating stink bugs today!
If you’ve found stink bugs in your home or even if you’ve found a bug you’re not sure about, or if you want to be proactive in the fight against these shield-shaped pests, contact Arrow today. With close to 50 years of industry experience, we are the local team to take care of your pest problem and will start with a no-obligation inspection!
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‟We have a quarterly service plan with Arrow. They are not only focused on addressing issues they put preventative measures in place to prevent issues from happening, like looking for and sealing the places where bugs can get into the home. The team are professional, friendly, thorough and provide details about every step of their process. We have had several different technicians over the last 2 years and each follows the same process and guidelines. Definitely recommend for treatment and prevention.”
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‟I used Arrow Pest Control for the first time today and I was totally satisfied, I reached out to them on Sunday and spoke to Beatrice and she set me up an appointment for Monday morn for an estimate and Monday afternoon the technician came and serviced my house.....I wish I could have gave them 10 stars, very helpful, right to the point, very professional, on time and no games.....I highly recommend arrow pest control in Morganville.......thank you J.F.”
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‟With Covid hitting everyone, the exterminator that helped us was respectful of the safety with a mask, boots and gloves. He was very informative and explained everything as he did it.”
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‟We’ve been using Arrow for the last 4 years. We have a monthly plan, so they come and service the interior and exterior regularly. We can also call them anytime for anything we see...wasp, wasp nests, rodents, ants, whatever...our coverage literally includes the mailbox at the curb all the way to the furthest point of our backyard fence and everything in between. All the technicians we’ve had, including Jason, were friendly and knowledgeable. But, Jason, goes above and beyond with his service and willingness to do more for his customers. Highly recommend Arrow Pest Control!”
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‟Tom is amazing! Arrow is the best company! Love their services. They truly care about their clients. ”
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‟Today was my first appointment with Arrow and Jason made everything seamless and efficient. Not only was he knowledgeable, he took his time explaining everything to me which proved he cared. I’m happy to have found Arrow and will continue to request Jason for my services! Thank you!”
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‟All the professional qualities a business such as Arrow Pest Control would expect a service technician to exhibit, Brian, effortlessly presented. From my standpoint, he offered GOLD STAR ”
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‟Recommended to us by neighbors, Arrow arrived promptly to treat our new to us home. The house is built on a slab which small ants love to nest in.
Their program is such that they return til the problem is solved. Today was their third visit. Steve was very thorough, professional and had a great sense of humor. I am hoping not to see him again this season! I would recommend based on our current relationship.
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‟I’m so happy we went with Arrow! We had been using another pest control company and still had a lot of spiders and crickets!! We switched to Arrow and after the first use with them, all the bugs were gone. They do a great job, very thorough, professional, friendly and very knowledgeable. I highly recommend using their services if you have any bug issues!”
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‟We were very pleased with how easy it was to schedule a first appointment with Rob and how reassuring and thorough his inspection was. A few hours later Josh arrived for the first treatment and was professional and took the time to answer all our questions. We didn’t hesitate to sign-up for Home Protection Program after seeing the quality and level of service we will receive.”
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‟Arrow and Brian with Arrow were amazing! He came same day when we heard scary noises in our attic. He found mice and a loose wire and even took a photo so we could see. He worked hard to crawl into a tiny space and we are so appreciate!! We can sleep tonight thanks to him.”
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‟Extremely professional and always on time. I was having an issue with mice and decided to call Arrow. They were able to get here next day and have an inspection. I set up with one of their monthly contracts and they were out to my home once a week continuously monitoring the situation until it was fully taken care of. I truly couldn’t recommend them more.”
