Seeing stink bugs inside your home? Here's how to safely get rid of them

What's that smell? It could be a stink bug, trying to invade your home this fall.

Brown marmorated stink bugs are identified by their shield-like body and are brown and gray with a lighter underbelly.

They are found more commonly inside homes during the later summer months and in the fall, when temperatures start to drop, according to PestWorld.com. The bugs can also show up on sunny sides of homes, where they like to keep warm. Finding large numbers alive or dead could be the sign of an infestation.

If you're seeing stink bugs inside, don't panic. There are simple and effective ways to rid the smelly insect from your home. Here's everything you need to know about stink bugs this fall.

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Where did stink bugs come from?

The insects are an invasive species that first made landfall in North America through an accidental import from Asia in the late 1990s, according to StopBMSB.org, a website devoted to the management of the brown marmorated stink bug in the U.S. that is supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

They are commonly found in the eastern half of the U.S. but have spread to 47 states, including Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky, as well as California, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas.

According to the University of Kentucky's Department of Entomology, stink bugs were first reported in Kentucky in 2010.

Are stink bugs harmful?

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, while large infestations can be a nuisance, they do not bite people or animals and are not known to transmit disease or cause physical harm, although people could be sensitive to allergens they may give off.

While stink bugs can congregate almost anywhere inside, they won't cause structural damage or reproduce inside homes.

As of 2020, the brown marmorated stink bug can be found in Ohio at high density in crops and buildings, according to the Ohio State University Extension, but are also often found at low density in crops and buildings in many other areas.

How to stop stink bugs from coming inside your house

Brown marmorated stink bugs can enter through cracks and crevices. The EPA suggests these tips on keeping stink bugs out of your home:

• Caulk windows inside and out.

• Weather strip entry doors and/or install door sweeps if daylight is visible around the perimeter of the door.

• Rake away debris and edible vegetation from your home's foundation.

• Seal foundation cracks.

• Secure crawlspace entries.

• When insulating exposed plumbing pipes around the foundation or the crawlspace of your home, caulk small gaps and fill larger ones with steel wool.

• If your home has a fireplace, cap or screen the top of the chimney to keep out pests.

• Contact a pest control professional to treat surrounding vegetation near your home's foundation, which can harbor a large population of stink bugs.

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How to get rid of stink bugs

If preventative measures aren't working, here's how to get rid of stink bugs. But be warned: They have that name for a reason. When disturbed or squashed, stink bugs release an unpleasant odor from scent glands on their abdomen, according to the EPA.

Because of the odor, getting rid of them takes some care. Here are some options: 

Capture and release: Stink bugs are attracted to light. Lure them into a jar or bottle, then dispose of them by throwing them outside or by placing them in a sealed container in the trash.

Use a pesticide, but outdoors only. Using pesticides indoors isn't recommended because it won't prevent more bugs from coming in.

Use a vacuum to remove live and dead stink bugs from interior areas with the aid of a vacuum cleaner. The downside: Your vacuum might smell bad, so empty as soon as possible.

Drown them in a bucket or pan partly filled with soapy water. The EPA suggests a metal pan and a light source to attract them.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Are stink bugs in your house? Here's how to get rid of the pests