Pest guide
Stink Bug Guides
Seal the cracks stink bugs use to get in each fall, vacuum or drop them in soapy water, and skip indoor sprays that don’t solve the problem.
2 guides · Updated Oct 10, 2026
Stink bugs overview
How to identify stink bugs
The one filling most houses in fall is the brown marmorated stink bug: an invasive, mottled brown-gray shield about ⅝ inch long, with light bands on its antennae and along the edges of its body. It gives off a strong smell when crushed or disturbed (UC IPM, NC State).
Why they’re in your house
Stink bugs come inside in fall to spend the winter, slipping through cracks around window frames, doors and siding. They stay sluggish in walls and attics and wander out on warm days through winter and spring, from under baseboards, around window and door trim, and around exhaust fans or ceiling lights. They don’t feed or breed indoors (Iowa State), and they don’t damage the house, though in very high numbers they can get into heat pumps and small engines (NPIC).
Where to start
Read how to get rid of stink bugs: knock the ones indoors into soapy water or vacuum them, set a lamp over a pan of soapy water overnight, and seal the cracks they use before next fall. Do stink bugs bite? covers the risk to people and pets.
How to keep them out
Seal before fall, when they look for a winter shelter. From UC IPM’s list: caulk cracks around windows, doors, utility pipes, siding, chimneys and under fascia boards; repair torn window and door screens; add weather stripping and a tight door sweep; fill the side gaps around window air conditioners; and put window screening inside attic gable vents. Turn off outdoor lights you don’t need.
When to call a pro
Call a professional if the gaps they use are high on the house or under siding you can’t reach safely, or if hundreds keep pouring out of an attic or wall void every warm day.
Sources: NPIC: Stink Bugs; UC IPM: Brown Marmorated Stink Bug; NC State: FAQs, Brown Marmorated Stink Bug; Iowa State University: Brown Marmorated Stink Bug
All stink bug guides
1 guide
Identify the species
Pictures, size and look-alikes in the Pest Library.
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Stink bug questions
Do stink bugs bite?
No. Stink bugs don’t bite or sting people or pets, and they don’t damage the structure of your home (NPIC).
See Do stink bugs bite?.
Why are stink bugs in my house in winter?
They came in last fall to spend the winter in walls and attics and come out on warm days. They aren’t breeding indoors.
Should I squash stink bugs?
Better not: they release their smell when crushed. Knock them into a jar of soapy water or vacuum them instead.