How To Get Rid Of Stink Bugs and Leaf Footed Bugs Naturally

Do you have a problem with stink bugs or leaf footed bugs invading your home or garden? If you’re a gardener or homeowner, you’ve probably encountered these pesky critters at some point. Learn what stink bugs are, how to identify them, and how to get rid of them using natural methods. We’ll also share some tips for preventing them from invading in the first place. So if you’re dealing with these smelly little creatures, read on for some solutions and answers to your questions!

What Are Stink Bugs?

These guys are a bit of an enigma. They only arrived in the U.S. in the mid-1990s in shipping containers from China, but have established themselves as though they’d always been here.

There are many shapes, shades, and sizes of them. The most common is the brown marmorated variety.

Brown marmorated stink bugs are household pests, but they don’t bite, sting, or pose a health hazard to people or animals. They do not carry any known diseases. They’re named for the brown marbled pattern on their backs.

They invade your home in the fall and reappear marching out of the woodwork like an endless army in the spring! Just in time to invade your gardens.

The brown marmorated stink bug has wreaked havoc on farmers’ crops throughout the mid-Atlantic since it invaded the region sometime in the 2000s. They have quickly spread so that now 41 states are affected by them.

What Do Stink Bugs Do?

“The real devastation comes in the form of damage to farmers. Stink bugs feed as nymphs and adults on the fruit and pods of plants, which maximizes their chances to render a crop unmarketable.

Tom Kuhar

They have been known to eat a number of our most critical agricultural products, including apples, peaches, grapes, soybeans, peppers, tomatoes, corn, and cotton.

The broad-spectrum herbicide that is used by big ag to kill them also kills most of the beneficial insects that plants need to survive. It’s a counter-productive circle with no easy answer.

This is why raising Guinea Fowl is so becoming so popular! I always knew Guineas did a great job with removing ticks and grasshoppers but when you see them casing down a stink bug you feel a little hope for a bug-free bathroom ceiling swell up in your heart.

Look-a-Like Leaf Footed Bugs

All my life, almost 60 years, I have known these look-a-like Leaf Footed bugs as stink bugs. I was taught they are stink bugs and everyone I know here in the Deep South, calls them stink bugs. We thought they were just different varieties of the same species.

I find I’m not alone as most people mistake them for stink bugs because of the distinct stink bug smell.

• When you squish them, they smell like stink bugs.
• They do the same things as stink bugs to crops and are creepier, in my opinion.
• The things that attract stink bugs attract them.
• The ways to kill true stink bugs work for the leaf footed bug as well. Thankfully!

Differences

• Leaf footed bugs are in the family Coreidae while stink bugs are in the family family Coreidae.
  • Although most of their behaviors are the same.
• Leaf footed bugs get their name because of the leaf-shaped protrusions on their back legs.
• They tend to cluster when feeding, unlike stink bugs.
• They are longer, bigger, dark brown, and more reproductive than stink bugs, in my opinion.

So for the purposes of this article, we will treat the leaf footed bug the same as a true stink bug.

What attracts stink bugs?

While it may seem as if these pests appear out of nowhere, there are usually a few reasons why they show up.

They are attracted to smells like fruit (especially ripe fruit), so if you keep a countertop fruit bowl, your ripe bunch of bananas could be a source drawing them into the house.

The blooms and buds of your garden plants and fruit and nut trees are especially attractive to them.

Not only are stink bugs attracted to odors, but they are also attracted to heat and light. They typically retreat to hibernation during the winter months, usually hiding in walls or hidden places until spring. Just in time to attack your garden and house plants.

Stink Bug and Leaf Footed Bug Facts and FAQ

Why They Come Indoors

Stink bugs in the house are a real nuisance. They leave brown stain trails on the ceilings and walls as they crawl around and use the bathroom. Disgusting I know but those brown trails are their excrement.

Not to mention the icky factor of them flying around and landing on you, your family, or your pets!

They usually come indoors when seasonal indications urge the bugs to look for a safe place to hibernate, such as under the eaves of your home. The shortening days and plummeting temperatures drive them toward cover. Of course, your house is the warmest place to be!

Researchers once found 4,000 in a bread box size container and 30,000 inside a small shed around 4 ft by 4ft in size! I’ve got the creepy crawlies just thinking about it!

The perplexing behavior of these bugs indoors is caused by diapause, which is an insect hibernation. This zombie-like condition allows them to move but not very gracefully.

What Do They Eat?

For us, the big problem is what they do in the garden and fruit orchards. They eat blooms, buds, fruits and veggies, and even young nuts. Because they consume almost all plant parts, your garden contains something they have on their grocery list.

Unfortunately, they also eat a wide range of native plants as well, from attractive shrubs to wild vines and weeds.

How Long Do Stink Bugs Live?

The life cycle of this pesky critter is 6 – 8 months. That’s most of the year!

How Long Do Leaf Footed Bugs Live?

Usually, 6 -8 months but some varieties of the leaf footed family can live up to three years.

Do stink bugs bite? What about Leaf Footed Bugs?

With their spikey look and aggressive stance, you would think they bite or sting, but thankfully, neither species bites nor stings. They may sneak up on you and make a surprise landing, or buzz you as they fly up in the garden, but they’re just creepy.

What happens if you touch a stink bug?

If it feels threatened, they secrete pheromones and smelly chemical compounds. Rarely, a person may experience an allergic reaction to the compounds they secrete if they touch the bug(s). The allergic reaction may cause a runny nose or contact dermatitis.

Should you smash a stink bug?

There’s no real reason to not smash them. However, if I find one and I don’t have my spay with me, I do squish them.

The reason most people don’t smash them is the pheromones that they emit when squished attract other bugs to their location, outdoors and indoors. So if you smash them, although you might only have a little stink bug or leaf footed bug infestation at first, it can quickly turn into a full-scale infestation.

When is stink bug season?

Stink bugs and leaf footed bugs are found all year, but you’re more likely to notice them in the spring and summer when temperatures rise and stink bug refugees flee outdoors looking for warm sunshine and food.

You may not know they are hiding in your home because they like to hide in walls, in crevices, under the bed or other furniture, in your attic, or even in your vents! Ugh!

We had them hide in the slideouts of our fifth wheel a couple of years ago. We thought we had gotten rid of all of them but when the following spring came, there they were crawling out of their hiding places!

How to Get Rid of Stink Bugs and Leaf Footed Bugs

I am not a person who is opposed to killing bugs who are invading my home or food supply. Knowing how to kill stink bugs naturally is important to us as we are organic subsistence farmers.

When They Invade Your Gardens

• WARNING: DO NOT spray the bugs while on your plants when the hot sun is beating down on your garden. It will kill the bugs but will cause your plants to scorch just as watering them at this time does.
• The BEST time to spray stink bugs on your plants is early morning before the sun is high. In the same way you should water your gardens and plants. This prevents you from accidentally scorching the plants while killing the bugs.
• In the early morning, it’s easier to kill them because their wings are wet from dew and they can’t fly away as quickly.
• If you begin killing them at the first sightings, you can break the lifecycle, prevent breeding, and eliminate them altogether.

1. Our Neem Oil Spray – Most Effective treatment we’ve found.
   • This plant-based natural insecticide works like a charm. It is the only thing we use outdoors to kill them. We keep a bottle mixed up for use in my raised beds, fruit orchard, and garden.
   • It is not harmful to the fruit or to humans or pets. Easily washes off when you harvest the produce.
   • TFLs Neem Oil Spray: Makes ½ Gallon of the spray – You can easily adjust the amounts to the size of the spray bottle you have on hand.
     • Spray bottle (1/2 Gallon or smaller)
     • 1 Tbs pure, cold-pressed, raw neem oil
     • 1 tsp pure baking soda
     • 1 tsp castile soap or mild dishwashing soap
     • Water to fill the bottle
       1. Add all these to your spray bottle then add enough water to finish filling the bottle.
       2. Shake well and spray.
       3. Shake well before each use.
       4. Spray directly on the stink bug(s) being sure to coat him well. It may take a few minutes but he will die.
   • Alternative: Combine 32 ounces of water and two teaspoons of neem oil in a spray bottle. Shake well and spray directly on the stink bug. Be sure to coat him well. It will kill him without any danger to your plants.
2. Diatomaceous Earth
   • The stink bug’s protective exoskeleton is broken down by this natural and earth-friendly pesticide powder. Sprinkle the leaves, stems, fruit, and surrounding soil with DE.
     • Be sure to wear a mask and protective eyewear when using DE.
3. Garlic Spray
   • Combine two cups of water and four teaspoons of garlic powder or 7-10 crushed garlic cloves in a spray bottle and spray where you want to stop them.
   • This is not as effective as the first two because it washes off with heavy dew or rain so frequent applications are necessary.

When They Invade Your Home

1. Essential Oil
   • Make your house smell wonderful while also eliminating stink bugs by combining 10 drops of peppermint essential oil with 16 ounces of water or Witch Hazel and spraying at exterior windows and doorways.
   • I find spearmint isn’t as effective but can be used. I prefer Witch Hazel to water because it evaporates better.
2. Diatomaceous Earth
   • This works by breaking down their exoskeleton and causes dehydration.
   • Sprinkle it around windowsills indoors and outdoors, door facings, or any entry point.
   • It may require reapplication.
   • Be sure to protect yourself by wearing a mask and protective eyewear when using DE. I often just put a bandana over my nose and mouth when using it, and we use it a lot on the farm.
3. Garlic Spray
   • Mix it just as you would for outdoor use (see above) and spray it around the indoor windowsills I don’t mind the smell of garlic but it can be unpleasant in a bedroom or other living space.
4. Fly Tape
   • While it isn’t the prettiest of methods, strips of fly tape spread on windowsills and at other entryways will catch these critters.
5. Night Light – I think this is the best indoor method
   • Fill a big pan with soapy water and set it in the area you want to attract and kill stink bugs.
   • Set up a small light securely over the soapy water. The stink bugs will migrate to the light, fall into the soap, and drown overnight.
   • Make sure to use a surge protector in case someone knocks the light into the water.

Avoid Chemical Insecticides

We don’t use chemicals in our home, or on the farm anywhere. Besides, there are only a few all-purpose insecticides that work to kill these bugs.

A Virginia Tech team of researchers has proven that homemade, inexpensive stink bug traps crafted from simple household items outshine pricier models designed to kill the invasive, annoying bugs. The night light trap eliminated 14 times more stink bugs than store-bought traps that cost up to $50.

How to Prevent A Home Invasion

Here are some strategies for preventing these pests from getting into your home. These tactics, in particular, are kind to the environment while being innovative and creative.

• Seal off entry points.

First, spend some time looking for easy access points on the outside of your house. Look for places like beneath chimneys, around siding, and behind utility pipes.

Use a good quality silicone or silicone-latex caulk to seal any cracks or holes you find.

Stink bugs can enter the house through the tiniest of openings, so it’s critical to repair or replace a damaged window or door screens.

Check for bent weather-stripping and loose masonry as well.

You may also need to install door sweeps.

• Turn off the lights

Stink bugs are drawn to lights, so it’s a good idea to limit the use of outside illumination. To prevent light from shining out, turn off porch lights and draw window blinds during the evenings.

• Reduce moisture sites

Moisture accumulation in your home may help prevent numerous insect infestations. Check for leaking pipes and clogged drains, as well as any signs of dampness throughout the home.

• Check Boxes and Bags

Before bringing in holiday decorations from the attic or garage, clothes from storage, and grocery bags from the truck, look for stink bugs on them. Stink bugs may be carried inside without you even knowing it.

• Landscape

Branches and shrubbery should be kept neatly trimmed.

Also, keep firewood at least 25 feet from the house and if possible, five inches off the ground.

• Use a vacuum

If you have already discovered stink bugs in your house use a vacuum cleaner to remove them.

Wrap Up

Although stink bugs may be an annoyance, they are not harmful to humans. They do however cause a great deal of damage to crops and homeowners should take steps to prevent them from entering their homes.

We’ve shared how we get rid of them in the garden. If you deal with them at the first signs, you can eliminate them from the fruit and vegetable beds and not share your harvest with them!

There are several ways to get rid of stink bugs in your home, but the best way is to prevent them from coming in the first place. By following the tips we’ve provided, you can keep these pesky critters away and enjoy your home pest free.

Stink bugs are not the only pest in the garden. Learn all about tomato hornworms to prevent crop loss.

As always, we’re here to help!