Stink Bugs!

[JoanE]

Any of you have these ugly bugs in your home or rig? I never heard of them till I left LIW in PA last fall and went to NJ. My aunt saw one and said if there's one, there's more. She was right. They still rear their ugly bodies months later. I did some research about them and the articles warn not to crush them. I don't but I use my fly swatter to stun them, then scoop them on the swatter and toss. I don't use toxic sprays as I am allergic and so is my dog but guess I'm going to have to come up with a solution.

[Birdie]

You can just pick them up either by your hand, they don't bite, or napkin and pitch them out....but, I'd take them out and dispose of them as in squash them. They will find a way back in if you are the only rig around. They reproduce rather rapidly and in great number. Not sure of the breeding cycle, but right now they are looking for 'winter' protection.

The love RV's as it has lots of nice hidey places. Good luck in getting them out and soon.

[Bethers]

I've only seen one in the last few months - hopefully won't see more. They don't hurt anything, so I don't worry about them - unless I get infested. Just a pain in the butt - like the Japanese beetles that seem to come back alive in droves when it's warm and sunny. Funny thing in KY I didn't get many of them this year, but my friend Molly had them all over her rig again.

[Acadianmom]

Do you have them hatching(or whatever they do) in your rig? We have them here in the summer time but outside. Sometimes a few will get in the house but from outside. Do you have any house plants? Maybe one laid eggs in the dirt. I have never looked up their life cycle. Since it's warm in Florida maybe they come out earlier than here. If you crush them they have a very unpleasant smell.

Martha

[Irmi]

Joan, I agree with what Nancy said. We have maybe one a day that we find inside our motorhome. Don't vacuum them up as they die and stink your vaccuum up and the smell lasts for a long time. In MD, we had literally hundreds at a time on the outside of our screen doors and windows when it was nice out. They're a real nuisance.

[Nasoosie]

Both true stink bugs and ladybugs have a horrible odor if crushed or even handled roughly. The Adirondacks has a plague of lady bugs these days, and they find their way into cracks into RVs and houses, to remain there until the following year when they show up in droves. They usually die off on their own, and then you can vacuum them up and empty the bags or filters, or whatever, and you should be fine until the next generation hatches! Unfortunately, I find that I have borught some lady bugs with me from the north country, which are now hatching out down here in FL, so beware all you Floridians!

[dayspring39]

Yuck Yuck Yuck Soos keep them down there... and Irmi you keep them right over next door... ugly things! I have found some do bite as well as stink! But my bug catcher Shadow would catch and eat them all... that is also yuck
Kathleen

[Bethers]

Soos, those are the Japanese beetles I talked about. Rare to see a real lady bug anymore - as those have taken over and are such a pain.

[BarbaraRose]

I remember the first year we had the Japanese beetles in MN by the millions. I thougth they were Lady Bugs. I was out kayaking and found them on the water so I would scoop each one up, put it on the deck of my kayak to dry out and then they would fly away. I must have rescued over 200 that day! When I told someone later about it, they got mad and told me they were Japanese beetles and I should have let them drown! (I still think I did the right thing! ) They can bite but I didn't get bit by any that day.

Not familiar with stink bugs tho. Will have to check that out on-line. Not too many bugs out here in SoCal.

*On edit...I have seen those before but just one or two here and there on plants outside. We also used to get millions of Box Elder bugs, the red and black ones that would cover the sides of the houses every fall. They are harmless tho, but just so many!

[AlmostThere]

Not sure how you mistake Japanese beetles for ladybugs. They look nothing alike to me. Ladybugs are wonderful to have in your yard/garden as they eat aphids. I use to buy them to turn loose in my greenhouse in Alaska.

[JudyJB]

Just looked this up: The look-alikes are actually called Japanese Lady Beetles and tend to more orange than red, like the genuine ladybugs.

They also have a M or W on the area between their heads and bodies. I know these lady beetles can be a real pest and invade homes like crazy. They are not like the old red spotted ones that eat aphids.

I was hoping that being up on wheels and moving around a lot would prevent bug infestations. Guess that isn't so. Living in a cold climate, we don't have too many bug or snake problems in Michigan, so I guess I am skittish about bugs in general. Worst situation I ever had, other than some mosquitos, was an earwig that crawled into bed with me and bit me--Ouch! And once I jumped p and removed him, his friend bit me also.

So, I won't haul firewood, but what else should i do to prevent creepy crawlies like stinkbugs and scorpions (yech) from infesting my soon-to-be motorhome???

[BarbaraRose]

I am also reading up on the Japanese beetle. They can come in a variety of colors (yellow, orange, red) with a variety of spots (zero to 19). They don't actually bite but will pinch your skin to see if you are edible (sounds like biting to me!). They are harmless other than being a pest in the fall. Like ladybugs, they also eat aphids, so that is a good thing.

[AlmostThere]

Huh! Interesting stuff.

[Bethers]

Judy - never open a window or door Sorry - but the bugs come in no matter what you do - if it's their time and season, they find us -

[WickedLady]

You might try getting some flea collars and place them in all your outside nooks and crannies. Works for spiders and hornets.