Stink bug control in Clarksville, Tennessee

How to recognise them

The brown marmorated stink bug is about an inch long and 3/4 inch wide, in UT Extension's description, mottled brown with some pink or purple. Look for white bands on the last two antenna segments and alternating light and dark bands along the edge of the body. Disturbed, it gives off a strong smell like cilantro.

Why they show up here

This insect came from Asia and was first documented in Tennessee in Knox County on 30 October 2008. UT says it is now well established in the state. Here it usually has two generations a year, and adults from the second look for protected spots to spend the winter. Your house is one of them.

Watch for them in September and October, when temperatures begin to fall. They cause no structural damage. It's the numbers and the smell that bother people.

What a visit usually involves

1. Checking entry points

   Where do they gather, and how are they getting inside? Vents, siding edges, window frames and soffits get a look.

2. Exclusion advice or work

   UT's main advice is pest-proofing: door sweeps, weather stripping, caulk around window frames, screened vents.

3. Outdoor treatment, if any

   Ask the company whether a treatment on the outside walls would help in your case, and when it would need to be done.

When to call

A few bugs on the window can be vacuumed up. Empty the vacuum outside soon after, or expect the smell to linger. Call if they come in by the dozens, if you find them in the attic or wall voids, or if you're unable to reach the high spots that need sealing.

Timing matters. UT says pest-proofing should be done after the insects leave in spring and before they come back in fall. To check a door, stand outside when it's dark with a light on inside. If you can see light around the edges, it isn't sealed.

Stink bug questions