WPXI even did a special news feature on the little pests. There is even some disturbing video of a woman who has had thousands invade her home. Watch this to see how the critters get in.
We don't have thousands, but do see at least a dozen almost every day outside. On the warmer, sunnier days we keep the windows closed because they find their way through the gaps of the screens (why are there such big gaps? you'll have to talk to our property managers) or they get in through the vents.
I've become a master of killing the little suckers by trapping them in a glass and flushing them.
They're tricky to kill outright, see, because they emit an odor when attacked or when they die. Hence, "stink bug".
(Someone suggested getting bug spray but they are also resistant to various forms of spray, like Raid. Personally, I like the old-fashioned way of killing bugs by trapping them and flushing them and by old-fashioned, I mean the way the ancient Romans used to do it in the coliseum days, of course.)
A few nights ago I woke up in the middle of the night and walked to the bathroom and a smell attacked my nostrils like no other. Being half-wake, I attributed it to my dog who often emits her own stink bombs as she is happily dozing and farting away in dream-land.
The next morning, the cat was playing with the body of at stink bug in the hall, which leads me to believe the cat is getting good at killing them, too, only she doesn't care if they release their stink or not. I felt a little sorry for blaming the dog about the odor.
It's not like they're dangerous. They don't bite. They're not poisonous. They're just annoying.
They say when the first frost comes, they'll all be dead. Makes me feel slightly sorry for them.
Actually, not really.
