Have you noticed more stink bugs around and in your house the past few weeks? You’re not alone.
After a summer enjoying the warm weather and feeding on crops and plants outside, the smelly insects are looking for warmer locations to survive the upcoming winter.
Valerie Sesler with the Penn State Extension Program tells KDKA Radio, “We notice them more during this time because they leave their outdoor habitats and come into our warm homes through cracks and crevices, or gaps in siding, windows, and doors.”
If you’re finding stink bugs or, more specifically, the brown marmorated stink bug, on your walls or ceiling, the good news is, their number should start to decrease.
“The peak flight period for these insects as they move toward these overwintering locations typically occurs from late September through early October.” said Sesler.
As for another pest, the spotted lanternfly, Sesler says the population has been down this year and is “likely due to natural population fluctuations that often occur after an area that has been infested for several years.”
“While it may seem like the population is disappearing, these insects frequently experience cycles where numbers peak and then decline, though they can rebound in subsequent seasons,” added Sesler.
