Virginia Stink Bugs!!!

[timandsusan]

In the Fall of 2011, we were in Charlotesville, VA at the KOA--it was the end of September. Just after we pulled in, the Monty was covered on the outside by stink bugs. We found a few inside and disposed of them. Later while touring Monticello and other sites, the stink bugs were everywhere. To make a long story short, we have been killing or finding dead stink bugs inside the Monty since that time. Today--4/26/2012--I found 3 more dead bugs inside the Monty. How long can they last?? And are Virginia Stink Bugs a "dirty secret" about camping in Virginia? Yes, I sprayed in numerous places inside the Monty. We are ready to head West where there are NO STINK BUGS!

[CamillaMichael]

My view is that ALL bugs stink; however, I am partial to lady bugs since they are supposed to eat aphids. Anyway, we have lived in Virginia a few times over the years and never noticed any particular problem with stink bugs...but things can change and not always for the better!

[Chasnracin]

Stink bugs are NOTHING compared to trying to wash off love bugs. I really do not miss Georgia:-)

[awaywego]

We had stink bugs last year, which was unusual. This year we were over run with inch worms. All clear now. When we were in New Mexico a few year back they had moths and it took months to get them out out of light fixtures and closets. When we got to Montana we had grass hoppers and had to stop and clean the radiator so it would not overheat. In Texas it was fire ants. All states have something don't they?

[oldelmer1]

They are not just in Virginia, we have them here in Maryland too. They hit us in the fall of 2010 and were everywhere, even hiding in the awning arms of the Monty.

I don't think there is much that will kill them, other than stepping on them, but that's when they stink, when you squish them.

[swanny]

We got them in Pa. also. Last year they were very bad this year not too bad , yet. And yes you can and will find them everywhere. Last year I had one in my anti siphon valve. It held the valve from shutting and when I used the black tank flush water went everywhere.

kevin

[cwalker]

We were in Jasonville, IN a couple of Octobers ago and had an invasion of ladybugs. We battled them for a week, put it in storage and then found dead ones. When you vaccum them up they stink too.

[Rondo]

Cindy those weren't ladybugs. They were/are an oriental beetle that was brought over here to the US to take care of some other bugs that had infested the soybean fields here. Now they are the problem! They are a real problem here in Nebraska too and as you said they really stink when you smash them or vacuum them. I've found out a way to take care of the smell in the vacuum is to spray the exiting filter with some Fabreze or some other room deoderizer! They still stink in the vacuum but if you have a bag vacuum you have to change it each time you suck the little buggers up! Pun intended!

[1retired06]

we carried those stinkbugs for months. Got into the cargo bays and traveled with us; every so often one would come out.

[timandsusan]

I appreciate the comments. My next door neighbor drove to VA in 2010 and they saw alot of stink bugs. But yes, there are bugs in most other places. BUT-the Virginia Stink Bugs are No. 1 in my book for a pest! The only plus is that they are too slow to hit the front of the Monty while I am going 60MPH--leaving Virginia!

[Trailer Trash 2]

quote:Originally posted by timandsusan

I appreciate the comments. My next door neighbor drove to VA in 2010 and they saw alot of stink bugs. But yes, there are bugs in most other places. BUT-the Virginia Stink Bugs are No. 1 in my book for a pest! The only plus is that they are too slow to hit the front of the Monty while I am going 60MPH--leaving Virginia!

do you have a picture of what they look like.

[MIMF]

timandsusan, those VA stink bugs are very close relation to Indiana stink bugs. It seems we have had extras this spring. Can't help but think that it was because of the 80 degree weather we had back in March.

[ole dude]

Met up with a bunch of'em while on a motorcycle trip in the area. Good time to keep yur mouth shut and yur face shield down.

[cwalker]

Ron, thanks for the clarification/correction about the oriental beetles. I learned something new today!

[alandaudrey]

We also were infested with Stink Bugs while we were in WV last year. Fortunately we were only in the infested area for a few days so I don't think we picked up any more along the way home.
There are a few good web sites about eradicating the little devils. They are the "Brown Stink Bug" and according to a few articles I have read the are supposed to be easy to kill.

We were finding bugs in the lighted areas like the skylights and vent openings mostly. We were seeing about 6 to 10 bugs a day. As soon as I would squash one we would see a few more. I was sure the were nesting in the attic area. I sprayed as good as I could in the attic by taking out the skylights and vents and spraying through the slots in the rafters.

On one of the articles I read they suggested a Hot Shot product. Home Depot carries it and you hang it up like an air freshner. I put one of those in the attic near the shower skylight and another in the attic near the Fantastik Fan. I also pulled the covers on both AC units and sprayed a pest killer with "Cypermethrin" all around the AC covers and the compressor and fans. That has been three weeks ago and I haven't seen a single bug since. Now all I have to worry about is how many eggs that have been layed and will my efforts kill the eggs.

I'm still not sure I have got them all but things are better.

Some other products that have been suggested but that I haven't tried are; "Cymethprene concentrate", Talstar Pro", "Maxide dual action", and "Suspend Polyzone" by Bayer Chemical.

One last comment, they need a exit/entrance to go find food. They use their strong odor to be able to find their way back to the nest. If you can locate that exit/entrance they can be controlled.

Good luck in your efforts

[mlh]

I live about an hour or so south a Charlottesville on I 81. In 2011 stink bugs were worse than awful. I got 100s a day out of my shop. I have a 5 gallon vacume cleaner and had it half full. This year there there were few. I'm sure more than most people have but as compared to 2011, few. This year????
Lynwood

[Waynem]

Ah! Tim and Susan, welcome to our world. We were at Quantico Virgina for about a month and infested is not the choice of words I would use, there would be some #(*&$ before that word. It has been over a year, and eveery once in a while I'll see one of the buggers, but he'll be dead, except just recently I stomped one still moving.

For anyone interested, this is what they look like Stink Bug and sometimes referred to as Shield bug becasue they look like a shield.

Here is some information on them: Brown Marmorated Stink Bug

We looked for an insecticide for "bombing" the SOB. We looked for an insecticide that contained Cypermethrin We bombed several times and then vacuumed up the dead ones. Trust me. We have cleaned up hundreds if not thousands of those buggers. They are very hard to control, but I feel we have it under control until our next East Coast trip. Darn!

The only fortunate thing is that they seem to think they are immune from destruction so it is easy to walk up to where one is on the wall and pick it off with a tissue. Don't crush it. Their stink is not real foul but it does smell. We flush them down the toilet.

Their exoskeleton is very weak and will dissolve with soapy water. You can keep a coffee can or jar around and just deposit them in some soapy water and it will destroy the exoskeleton and they will die.

Just search on the words "best stink bug insecticide" or just eh words "stink bugs."

You are not going to like what you read.

Good luck, and keep them up there in hill country. Oh, by the way, the smell they emit is their homing device so they can find their way back to the eggs.

[Captain Joe]

When we visited PA in 2010, we were infested with stink bugs. The lasted in the Monty through the winters of 2010 and 2011. We are still finding them alive and dead in the Monty. Their smell attracts more, so don't squish them.

[mlh]

Quote:
Their smell attracts more, so don't squish them.
X2
Lynwood

[kab449]

Lots of those little critters in PA also. Enough of them to support a new industry committed to the eradication of them.
Check out one persons attempt to build the better mouse trap: http://www.stinkbugtrapsonline.com/