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PcolaCamper's avatar
PcolaCamper
Explorer
Mar 13, 2016

Stink bugs!!

Our travel trailer is infested with stink bugs. They are hiding somewhere and one or two at a time show up. Last Fall we were camp hosts in NC Smokies, and they hitchhiked home with us. The last week of October they were all over the campsite. I tried bug spray which was a mistake, left an odor and only stunned them long enough to catch in my soapy water trap. The back storage compartment has a strong odor too which may be because I sprayed a lot of bug spray in it, and unfortunately the odor comes through to the inside. I don't know for sure whether the lingering odor is the bugs or chemicals from the spray. I'm stumped, don't know how I'm going to rid our camper of these creepy pests.
Seeking Advice
  • amandasgramma's avatar
    amandasgramma
    Explorer
    Mar 13, 2016
    We were invaded last summer by a member of the stink bug family. To say it freaked me out is putting it mildly. I'm not tslking a few, I'm talking 1000000000000s. We vacuumed up, sprayed, etc and nothing worked. We finally used a chemical bomb. Now mind you, we gad vacuumed where the insides of my new white vacuum was now brown from bug juice!!! After the bomb, we walked in to a layer of black snow all over our rig!!!!!!!! I'm suggesting to just go ahead and bomb the rig. Good luck!
  • Campforever's avatar
    Campforever
    Explorer
    Mar 13, 2016
    IT IS MY HOPE THAT SOMEONE ON THE FORUM KNOWS A REMEDY BESIDES THE "BOMB." I AM A CAMP HOST IN NC AND WE HAVE THEM. SO FAR COLLECT THEM IN A SOAPY BOTTLE WITH A TOP.

    LOL, EVEN MY DOG WANT ROLE ON THEM, NOW THAT IS BAD...
  • PcolaCamper's avatar
    PcolaCamper
    Explorer
    Mar 13, 2016
    Did the bomb leave a bad odor? Not that that matters at this point I guess!
    I have a bottle of soapy water I'm using too, has screw top lid. Also tried one made with 2 liter coke bottle cut in half and top inserted upside down into bottom filled with soapy water.
    We have a short local trip coming up then home for about 5 weeks before going to host at Shenandoah May and June. May have to strip down the camper and use the bomb.
  • lots2seeinmyrv's avatar
    lots2seeinmyrv
    Explorer
    Mar 13, 2016
    We have them in Maryland. Never saw those darn bugs until we moved here. In the Fall they get in the house and trailer. They find hiding places and go dormant over the winter. They are waking up and are starting to get active.

    I went in the trailer and went through some dish towels and they were hiding in there! Fridge is clean and they crawled under the crisper drawers. They crawl up in between the drapes.

    Good luck!
  • PcolaCamper's avatar
    PcolaCamper
    Explorer
    Mar 13, 2016
    The Ortho Home Defense sounds like exactly what we need. I'll look for it and let you know how it works out. Non toxic when dry and no odor according to the info I found. Thank you!
  • wildtoad's avatar
    wildtoad
    Explorer II
    Mar 13, 2016
    We picked up a batch of them coming through Tennessee one time. Could not even go out the door without hundreds of them trying to get in. It took two years to get rid of them. Beat of luck....
  • CavemanCharlie's avatar
    CavemanCharlie
    Explorer III
    Mar 13, 2016
    They have been seen in MN. Soon they will be everywhere. I don't know about Stink Bugs. But, I found a product called "Tempo" that worked wonders on the Chinese Lady Beetles. You spray that on the outside of your house / camper and when the bugs come in they die right away.

    I would certainly give it a try for the stink bugs. I doesn't seem to have much of a smell.
  • tegu69's avatar
    tegu69
    Explorer
    Mar 13, 2016
    Yeah we got them from northern North Carolina last fall. We used pieces of duct tape to catch them (dozens of them). We probably still have some and a friend suggested we use Terro stink bug killer. He bought his motorhome complete with stink bugs and he tried all sorts of remedies and thinks the terro worked.
    Another friend in NC told us that this year is supposed to be worse than last year.
  • BluegrassBill's avatar
    BluegrassBill
    Explorer
    Mar 13, 2016
    Asian Brown Marmorated Stink Bugs. Our neighborhood east of Woodland, Wa. was besieged with them last fall. We vacuumed hundreds with a shop-vac outside and soapy water to hold those hand caught inside. Only insecticides that say stink bugs on label will work. They hide in clusters and singularly. At our house I found them packed under the roof vents and eave gutters. On the winterized motorhome anywhere they could fit including the tire covers. I started the engine just to warm it up and they came out in droves from underneath. I expect as the weather gets warmer they will be coming out of hibernation.

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