Straight answers to the questions we get most about stink bugs and our lamp trap. Want the build instructions? Start here.
How do I get rid of stink bugs in my house?
Use three steps together: seal the cracks they use to get in (they fit through gaps as small as about 3 mm), treat the outside of the house around doors and windows, and catch the ones that still get inside with a light trap. No single step is enough on its own. Our full three-step plan walks through each one.
How do you make a homemade stink bug trap?
Treat a rice paper lamp shade with insecticide outdoors, let it dry, set the lamp in a metal oven roasting pan, and run it in a dark room. Stink bugs land on the shade, die, and fall into the pan. Here's the full step-by-step guide with video.
Why are there so many stink bugs in my house in the fall?
Stink bugs are looking for a place to overwinter. They spend the summer feeding on crops and laying eggs on trees, then in the fall they head for sheltered spots, and a house is a great one. We're surrounded by soybeans, corn, maple, oak and black walnut, so we get thousands. More in our guide to the brown marmorated stink bug.
How do I keep stink bugs from coming inside?
Seal every gap you can find around windows, doors, siding and utility openings, and repair damaged screens. Then spray an insecticide around doors, windows and anywhere they gather on the walls; the bifenthrin concentrate we use lasts a few weeks outdoors. Always follow the product label. A trap helps with the ones that get in anyway, but it won't stop new ones arriving.
Are stink bugs attracted to light?
Yes. That's why you see them on windows during the day and on light fixtures at night, and it's the whole idea behind our trap. A lit lamp in an otherwise dark room becomes the one place they head for.
Do homemade stink bug traps actually work?
Ours does. We've caught over a hundred in a single night. It beat the soapy water traps, sprays and bug zapper we tried first. Results depend on how many bugs are around and how dark the room is. See what we tried and how each one went.
What light bulb should I use: LED or incandescent?
We haven't tested bulb types side by side, so we can't say one catches more than another. What matters most is that the lamp is the brightest thing in a dark room. For safety, use a bulb rated for your lamp and keep the required clearance between the bulb and the paper shade. A cooler LED bulb is generally the safer choice inside a paper lamp.
Where should I put the trap, and should other lights be off?
Put it in a dark room where you keep seeing stink bugs, and turn off competing lights so the trap is the brightest thing. Stink bugs head for the bright, south-facing side of a house, so a darkened room on that side is a good spot. Set it on a stable, level surface.
Does the trap work during the day or only at night?
It works day and night; ours runs around the clock. It works best in a dark room, so a room you can keep dim during the day, or running it overnight, gives the best contrast.
Does killing a stink bug attract more stink bugs?
There's no solid evidence that a dead stink bug attracts more. What is true is that squishing one releases its smell, which is a good reason to avoid crushing them. A pan trap means you never have to squash anything. Just tip the bugs into a bag and throw it away.
How long does it take the trap to work?
Quickly, once the bugs are there. Stink bugs land on the shade, walk around for a bit, then die and drop into the pan, and we've caught over a hundred in a single night at peak season. A couple of days is enough to build up a visible pile. Some in the pan may still be alive for a while, but they won't last.
Will it work on Asian lady beetles or boxelder bugs?
We've only used it on stink bugs, so we can't promise results. Asian lady beetles and boxelder bugs also move into houses in the fall and gather on sunny walls and windows, so a light trap may catch some, but we haven't tested it. The sealing and outdoor spray steps help against all of them.
Ready to build one? Follow the step-by-step guide or see the supplies list.