It's the time of year stink bugs start making their way into homes

If you find a stink bug in your house this fall, whatever you do, don't crush it. Read on to find out how to get rid of these invasive pests.

Image by Hectonichus, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

(CHICAGO) Rotting cherries. That's how many describe the smell of a threatened stink bug.

As far as pests go, stink bugs are relatively new to the Chicago area. Arriving from Asia in the U.S. in the late 1990s, the brown marmorated stink bug has only been in Illinois since about 2010.

The insects can be harmful to fruits, vegetables, and other crops in some parts of the country. However, according to the Morton Arboretum in Lisle, they are only considered a "nuisance pest" in the Chicago region.

Fall weather brings stink bugs indoors

The worst nuisance about these flat, brown, shield-shaped insects is their attempts at finding a cozy spot in your home in the fall and the pungent odor they emit when threatened.

Chicagoans may notice them showing up in their homes around September and October. Like other bugs you find in your home in the fall, the stink bugs are simply looking for a warmer place to live.

If you find one of these pests in your home, avoid squashing it. This will make the bug emit its odor for protection. But so will anything that frightens it. Even just handling the insects can cause them to release their odor, according to experts at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Extension.

What do stink bugs smell like?

The bugs release fluid through their scent glands when threatened. It can spray several inches, and the odor varies. Not everyone smells the same thing when the stink bug emits its smell, and some people don't notice it all.

But what does it smell like? It's been likened to various scents, such as rotting cherries, fermenting apples, and cilantro. Interestingly, one of the compounds found in the stink bug's scent is also found in cilantro.

What to do when you spot one?

• First of all, don't crush it. It will likely release its smelly liquid, and you will be likely to get some on you or in your home.
• The Illinois Extension recommends vacuuming the bugs or dropping them in soapy water.
• To prevent them from coming in at all, now is the time of year to fill in all the cracks and crevices around your house.

To get NewBreak stories delivered for FREE on your phone, download the NewsBreak App. If you use my link, I get a small commission (at no cost to you.)