An Easy Way To Get Rid of Stink Bugs

By Mary Ann Barton

Think you need some expensive, complicated way to get rid of stink bugs?

A group of researchers from Virginia Tech has conducted a study and found that you really don’t need a fancy contraption.

All you need is a pan of water and a light to attract them to their doom, according to a new study out by Virginia Tech.

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Tis the season for stink bugs and before you know it, you might start seeing them everywhere. If you do, here’s what you’ll need:

1. A large pan (an aluminum foil one if you want to toss it, because honestly, who wants to reuse a pan that’s had bugs floating in it?).
2. Water and dish soap
3. A light to attract the bugs

The Virginia Tech team has proven that homemade, inexpensive stink bug traps crafted from simple household items outshine pricier models designed to kill the invasive, annoying bugs, according to a news release from the university.

This discovery comes just as warm weather is coaxing the critters out of crevices of the homes they were hiding in during the cold winter and homeowners will be looking for a way to get rid of the pest, according to the news release.

Researchers from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences found that the best way to get rid of the little buggers? Just fill a foil roasting pan with water and dish soap and put a light over the pan to attract the bugs in a dark room.

The trap eliminated 14 times more stink bugs than store-bought traps that cost up to $50, the study found. The only price of the homemade model is the cost of a roasting pan, dish soap, and a light — all which homeowners may already own.

By the way, a stink bug’s ability to emit an odor through holes in its abdomen is a defense mechanism, meant to prevent it from being eaten by birds and lizards. Simply handling the bug, injuring it, or attempting to move it can trigger it to release the odor.

Seeing any stink bugs at your house?