Have you ever wondered are stink bugs dangerous? The appearance of any pests within your home can be a cause for concern for most people. You don’t want to allow dangerous bugs into your home, especially if they could be detrimental to your health or the integrity of your home. Finding prehistoric-looking stinkbugs in your home in Northern Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C. is especially frightening to many homeowners
Stink bugs are a common pest in the great Washington, D.C. area. They are very common sights when temperatures start to cool in the fall and when it warms in the spring. You may also see them on a warm winter day when they come out of hiding spots such as your attic.
Although stink bugs aren’t poisonous and don’t bite humans, they can infest your home and cause uncomfortable reactions should a child or pet unknowingly swallow one.
To learn more about the potential problems associated with stink bugs in the home, keep reading. We’ll share tips on how to keep them out of your living space, eradicating them if they’re already there, and when you should reach out to a company like us for assistance.
Are Stink Bugs Dangerous in Your Home?
Many homeowners wonder are stink bugs dangerous. The main problems that arise when stinkbugs get into your home are:
- Risk of a child eating one unknowingly
- Risk of a household pet eating one unknowingly
- An infestation that becomes hard to control
- Foul odors around your home
Even though a stink bug won’t bite humans like, say, some spiders or other creepy crawlers might, stink bugs can harm a human if they ingest one. Most people know to stay away, but if a toddler, dog, or cat eats one, they’ll be left with a foul taste and smell in their mouth and the symptoms could extend to an upset stomach or other digestive issues.
How to Keep Stink bugs Out of Your Home
Luckily, you can take some steps to prevent stink bugs from trespassing in your home.
Minimize Cracks, Holes, and Other Entry Points
Like any small pest, stink bugs will find ways to enter your home via small openings. This means you need to make sure all of your doors and windows are properly sealed, no screens are ripped, and any other point of access to the outdoors is kept closed as often as possible.
Put Food Away
Stink bugs are drawn to human food, especially scraps left out in trash cans and sinks. Avoid leaving food out and about, and always seal stored food properly. Stink bugs will also eat ornamental plants in your home.
Dim the Lights
It also helps to minimize the use of porch lights and the amount of light streaming out of your windows. Light attracts stink bugs, so you want to minimize attractions.
How to Get Rid of Stink bugs
If you already have stink bugs in your home, take the following steps to properly get rid of them:
- Don’t squish, as this lets off their foul odor
- Vacuum them up when possible and dispose of them and the vacuum bag far away from your home’s interior
- Use a stink bug pest control spray
- Use stink bug light traps
When to Contact My Pest Pros
Stink bugs are more of an inconvenience to homeowners than they are a threat. If your stink bug problem is out of control, and you’re at your wit’s end, it’s time to call us. Once you’ve started finding several stink bugs - whether living or dead - every day, you’ve got a problem.
Infestations are hard to get rid of without professional help. My Pest Pros can tackle the issue effectively and conveniently for you.
Contact My Pest Pros today at 703-665-4455 and We'll Get Rid of What's Bugging You!