Stink Bug Control
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Stink Bug Extermination Services
Stride Pest Control provides stink bug control for homes and businesses across Central Texas, where brown marmorated and other stink bugs push indoors in fall to overwinter in walls and attics, then reappear in spring. Stink bugs are hard to handle on your own because they slip in through the smallest gaps in large numbers and release a foul odor when disturbed or crushed.
Stride treats stink bugs through the Stride Forward integrated pest management process, focused on sealing the entry points they use and treating before they move in for winter. Exclusion is the key, because once they are inside the walls they are hard to reach.
Every treatment is backed by a same-day service option and a satisfaction guarantee, and the products we use are odorless and colorless once dry. Because stink bugs and boxelder bugs invade the same way each fall, Stride also handles boxelder bug control and general pest control around your property.
Stink Bugs In Central Texas
Stink bugs are best known for their odor and their fall invasions, and understanding their yearly cycle is the key to keeping them out.
| Trait | Stink Bug |
|---|---|
| Appearance | Shield-shaped body, about half an inch, mottled brown or green |
| The smell | Releases a foul odor when disturbed or crushed, a built-in defense |
| Why they invade | Push indoors in fall to overwinter, then re-emerge in spring |
| Where they hide | Wall voids, attics, and around windows and sunny walls |
| What they harm | Gardens and crops outdoors; indoors they are a nuisance |
| Notable species | The invasive brown marmorated stink bug |
The invasive brown marmorated stink bug is the one driving most fall invasions, which the Texas A&M AgriLife guide to the brown marmorated stink bug covers in detail.
Signs You Have Stink Bugs
Stink bugs follow a seasonal pattern that is easy to spot:
- Stink bugs on sunny exterior walls in fall, gathering before they move in.
- Stink bugs around windows and lights indoors.
- The distinctive odor when one is disturbed or crushed.
- Clusters re-emerging in spring on warm days.
- Damaged garden plants and fruit outdoors during the growing season.
Are Stink Bugs Dangerous?
Stink bugs are not dangerous to people. They do not bite, sting, or spread disease. The problems they cause are odor, nuisance, and crop damage.
Indoors, the foul smell they release when disturbed or crushed, plus the sheer number that can overwinter in a wall, make them an unwelcome guest. Outdoors, the brown marmorated stink bug is a serious agricultural pest that damages fruit, vegetables, and crops.
How We Get Rid of Stink Bugs
Stride treats stink bugs through the five-step Stride Forward process, timed to keep them out before they settle in for winter:
- Inspect. We check the sunny walls, window and door gaps, and attic and soffit vents stink bugs use to get in.
- Identify. We confirm the species and the entry points feeding the invasion.
- Recommend. We point out the cracks and gaps to seal and the vents to screen, ideally before fall.
- Treat. We apply an exterior residual to the walls and entry points in late summer and fall before stink bugs move in, and treat harborage.
- Evaluate. We monitor on recurring visits, since exclusion is what prevents next season’s invasion.
Our GreenPro certification guides this reduced-risk approach.
How to Keep Stink Bugs Away
Keeping stink bugs out is mostly exclusion, done before fall:
- Seal cracks and gaps around windows, doors, vents, and utility lines.
- Screen attic and soffit vents and repair damaged window screens.
- Treat the exterior before fall, when stink bugs start gathering to move in.
- Vacuum, do not crush, any that get inside, to avoid the odor.
- Reduce exterior lighting that draws them to the walls at night.
Stink Bug Control Frequently Asked Questions
Why are stink bugs coming into my house in the fall?
Stink bugs seek a warm place to overwinter, so as temperatures drop they push indoors through gaps around windows, vents, and siding. The ones that make it into the walls re-emerge in spring.
What happens if I squish a stink bug?
It releases the foul odor it is named for, which can linger. Vacuuming them up or removing them by hand is a better option than crushing them indoors.
Are stink bugs dangerous?
Not to people. They do not bite, sting, or spread disease. The issues are the smell, the nuisance of large numbers indoors, and the damage they do to gardens and crops outside.
How do I keep stink bugs out?
Seal entry points and treat the exterior before fall. Once stink bugs are inside the walls they are hard to reach, so keeping them out in the first place is the effective approach.
THE STRIDE FORWARD PROGRAM
Our Strategic ECO-BASED Protocol
Stride Forward is our Integrated Pest Management program where we partner with our clients in the long-term removal and prevention of pests. Keeping your property free of unwanted insects and rodents works best when we work together.
The program combines habitat manipulation, biological control, cultural behavior changes, and the targeted use of products designed to repel or eradicate pests. Our approach follows five steps, with non-chemical methods prioritized before any product application.
Our Certifications & Awards
Stride Pest Control holds QualityPro and GreenPro certifications through the NPMA’s Foundation for Professional Pest Management, and fewer than 3% of pest control companies nationwide hold both. QualityPro requires background checks on every service member, a drug-free workplace, and 16 standards that exceed state and federal requirements.
Our Austin and Round Rock office operates under Texas Department of Agriculture license TPCL #667951, with Burton Johnston as Responsible Certified Applicator. Our San Antonio office operates under TPCL #827449, with Alex Randall as Responsible Certified Applicator. Our office manager, Michael Honeycutt, is an Associate Certified Entomologist through the Entomological Society of America.
Founded in 2013, we have served nearly 12,000 customers across Central Texas and hold a 4.9-star rating across 2,400+ reviews with an A+ from the BBB.
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Stride Pest Control received an average rating of 4.9 out of 5 stars
based on 2,400+ reviews.
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You do not have to live with pests. Stride Pest Control offers same-day service across Central Texas with a satisfaction guarantee on every treatment.
4.9 stars across 2,400+ reviews | QualityPro certified | Satisfaction guaranteed