Stink bugs are large, gray-brown, shield-shaped, and found throughout most of the United States. They’re also annoying, pesky, and (to no one’s surprise) smell really bad if crushed. If you have stink bugs, you can find them lurking around the outer perimeter of a building, in walls, and other warm hidden spaces.

When you’re a property owner, a single stink bug can completely disrupt your business for days. Most businesses can’t afford that sort of shut down. That’s where this post comes in. We’ll help you diagnose, prevent, and remove stink bug problems from your commercial property.

Why do I have a stink bug problem?

A stink bug took a look around your business and thought, “Huh, it looks nice here.” This could be for a few different reasons. Usually it’s because they’ve found easy access to one of the three things they need: food, water, or shelter. When it comes to food, stink bugs like eating plants like grass, apples, berries, peppers, beans, and nuts. Field crops appeal to them as well. These include wheat, sorghum, and cotton. They’ll eat any fresh produce they can get their hands on. Do you process or handle fresh produce? Then you’re at risk of a stink bug infestation. When it comes to shelter, they want somewhere that’s both warm and safe. Their need for water isn’t their number one priority, but like other pests, they’ll gravitate toward any place they can find readily available standing water.

Where do stink bugs hide in my business?

Stink bugs most commonly bother agricultural businesses. They love orchards, food processing and distribution plants, farms, gardens, and nurseries. They also prefer warm climates. Warm climates allow them to reproduce year-round instead of only during the spring and summer months. They hide most of the time, but if you do see them it will be on warm days lurking around the outer perimeter of buildings. If a stink bug doesn’t have to hide and overwinter, an infestation can spread far more quickly.

If they’re going to hide inside your property, they’re most likely to hide inside of walls. Once they’re inside the walls, they’re not likely to come out unless an especially sunny day draws them out. This means that if they’re in your walls (and you can smell them there), you’re going to want some help getting them out.

What’s the best way to prevent stink bug problems?

Luckily, there are plenty of things you can do to better prevent stink bugs from infesting your business or commercial property. Some of the best prevention techniques include:

• Sealing off entry points. If a stink bug can’t get in, then it can’t proliferate. Inspect your property’s periphery. Look for places they can enter such as around utility pipes, through cracks in brick, or holes in screens. Repair any of these entry points as soon as you notice them.
• Keep lights off whenever you can. Stink bugs love light. If you have outdoor lighting, keep it low or off as much as you can.
• Control humidity. Humidity draws all pests. This includes stink bugs. High humidity can be avoided by making sure you have proper ventilation throughout your property and no leaking pipes or fixtures.

Stink bug problems… well, stink. Help keep your commercial property safe from these unwanted visitors with help from the team at Assured Environments. Give us a call any time you suspect a problem. We can have someone in and out of your business, removing your pest problem with as little interruption to your business as possible.