Stink bugs are notorious for their persistence when it comes to trying to get into your home during the fall months.
1. Stink bugs want to come into the house during the winter.
Have you noticed that the peak season for stink bug infestation problems within domestic homes in North America is during the early fall? This is not by mere chance or coincidence. Stink bugs are no different than any other insect or animal that instinctively seeks to escape the harshness of winter, either by hibernating or migrating south. What sets stink bugs apart from other insects is their persistence when it comes to seeking shelter in warm places during fall and winter. While it’s very rare to find bugs lurking in your home during the winter months, stink bugs are a notable exception.
2. They will look for any means to enter the house.
If a stink bug cannot seek shelter in a warm home during the winter months, it will inevitably hibernate. But during the fall months of September and October, you’ll find these little critters to be among the most persistent when it comes to trying to get into your home for the winter. Wherever they can find any kind of opening in your house, they’ll somehow manage to get in, where it’s warm. This opening could be a crack in the foundation of your house, the exhaust fan tubes of your clothes dryer, the exhaust duct of your stove, your chimney, holes in your window frames, tears in the screens of your windows or any other crevices they can find. Suffice it to say that if there’s a way to get into your home, a determined stink bug will find a way. This is your mission in life during the fall months.
3. The window air conditioning unit is one of the most vulnerable parts of the house.
Among the many different ways that stink bugs can gain access to your home, the window air conditioning unit is one of the most vulnerable. It is, after all, a real opening to your home. Designed so that air is drawn into your home from the outside, it is an open invitation for these insects to crawl right in. Of course, this is a common problem with any opening in your home, whether it’s a central air conditioning unit or any other exhaust pipe coming out of your house. Stink bugs can also work their way through these. The main difference is that the distance between the outside world and the inside of your home is very small, and it’s a relatively short distance for a stink bug to walk before it finally emerges into your home. If you do not take the necessary precautions and safety measures to seal your window air conditioning unit and make it completely airtight and impenetrable except for the flow of air molecules, then this unit becomes an open invitation for stink bugs to enter. make your way home.
4. Problems with the window AC units.
Because air conditioning units are units that are installed in an opening that is cut into the wall, you must be aware of the fact that even the smallest gaps between the unit and the wall can be large enough for bed bugs slide. And believe it or not, stink bugs can and will find a way through this unit, once they can detect the presence of heat emanating from that unit. Stink bugs are notorious for penetrating homes and working their way inside, and they are equally notorious for their persistence in doing so.
5. How to protect your window air conditioning units.
While most professionally installed air conditioning units are designed to fit precisely into your exterior wall opening, it’s inevitable that you’ll sometimes end up with a unit that doesn’t fit perfectly, even by a few millimeters. This applies to both new installations and replacements, as well as existing units that have been in your window for a long time. Here are some tips on how you can protect your window air conditioning units to prevent stink bugs from making their way into your home:
i) Use masking tape.
Duct tape is an extremely effective way to seal any gap between your window AC unit and the wall. It provides a solid and impenetrable barrier. Plus, it’s sticky so it’s highly unlikely to fall apart, plus it can trap any stink bugs that come in contact with the sticky surfaces, thwarting their attempts to get into your home.
ii) Spray the window with dish soap.
This may sound like an odd solution, but the fact is that liquid dish soap has proven to be lethal to stink bugs and acts as an excellent deterrent against them. By spraying the outside of your window with dish soap this should be enough to scare them away. Of course, if spraying the window with dish soap yourself isn’t practical, then you might want to have your window (as well as the rest of your house) professionally pressure washed.
iii) Seal the window.
If you have gaps in your window sill or in the areas between where the window meets the window frame, you can fill them in with caulk. Once the caulk dries, it will form a solid, impenetrable, waterproof barrier that stink bugs can’t get through. Also, if any stink bugs have managed to get into your home through these cracks and hide inside the walls, this will take care of them. By sealing the openings with caulk, this will trap, suffocate, and kill any stink bugs that may be hiding inside the walls, so they can’t get back out and lurk inside your home.
6. Cover your air conditioning unit.
One thing you can do is permanently encase your AC unit with a cover that has gaps that are too narrow for bugs to get through, but big enough for air molecules to get through. This case would be something similar to a cage.
Another way to cover your air conditioner would be to wrap it completely inside a cover when not in use, especially during the winter months.
Removing window AC units entirely during the winter months is also an option, as long as you can completely mask the wall gap, caulk the edges, and ensure it’s airtight.
Having a window air conditioner is a necessity during the summer months, in homes that do not have central air conditioning. Unfortunately, the luxury and convenience of having air conditioning come at a price…the tradeoff is in the amount of effort you must put into ensuring your unit doesn’t leave your home vulnerable to a stink bug infestation.