BLACKSBURG, Va. — A Virginia Tech team of researchers has proven that homemade, inexpensive stink bug traps crafted from simple household items outshine pricier models designed to kill the invasive, annoying bugs.
This discovery comes just as warm weather is coaxing the critters out of crevices of the homes they were hiding in during the cold winter and homeowners will be looking for a way to get rid of the pest.
Grab a pan
Researchers from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences found the best way to get rid of the little buggers is to fill a foil roasting pan with water and dish soap and put a light over the pan to attract the bugs in a dark room.
The trap eliminated 14 times more stink bugs than store-bought traps that cost up to $50, the study found.
(Article continues below video.)
The only price of the homemade model is the cost of a roasting pan, dish soap, and a light — all which homeowners may already own.
Stink bug trap – Virginia Tech from virginiatech on Vimeo.
Not urban legend
Though the solution is not new and has been promoted on Youtube and other websites, this is the first time it was actually tested in a scientific experiment.
“We knew that insects are generally attracted to light, so we were able to exploit that with these traps,” said John Aigner, a doctoral student in the Department of Entomology.
To conduct the study, Aigner and Tom Kuhar, an entomology professor and Virginia Cooperative Extension specialist, enlisted the help of citizen scientists — homeowners who were annoyed by the infestation of stink bugs in their houses — to evaluate different types of traps for ridding homes of bugs.
The study was conducted in 16 houses over two years.
“Currently there are no in-home insecticides labeled for use against brown marmorated stink bugs, so that presented us with a challenge,” Aigner said.
The homemade trap is not only inexpensive, it is also pesticide-free.
Sorry, farmers
Unfortunately, the traps are only practical in homes. Farmers around the mid-Atlantic have seen millions of dollars in damage to their crops since the brown marmorated stink bug invaded the region in the late 2000s.
The bug is now found in 41 states.
Still, the solution could give some reprieve to homeowners who find thousands of these cilantro-smelling bugs in their homes.
“The real devastation comes in the form of damage to farmers,” said Kuhar. “Stink bugs feed as nymphs and adults on the fruit and pods of plants, which maximizes their chances to render a crop unmarketable.”
They feed on many agricultural crops including apples, peaches, grapes, soybeans, peppers, tomatoes, corn, and cotton.
Treatment of the insects in crops is costly because the insecticides required to control it are broad spectrum toxicants that are highly disruptive to integrated pest management programs.
“The few native natural enemies they have can easily be killed with the same insecticide used to target the stink bugs themselves,” he said.
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Whenever a comparison is made – even in a “general interest” article – it is not credible to make statements such as, “The trap eliminated 14 times more stink bugs than store-bought traps that cost up to $50” without details regarding how the tests were done. As a “Made in the USA” manufacturer of a retail trap that has repeatedly been successfully tested against “homemade” traps, it does a disservice to anyone reading the article. I am all for “homemade” remedies that save consumers money, but not at the expense of making incredible claims that are not substantiated.
Always a great reminder. We have contacted the researchers for more information related to the researchers, and will provide that information when we get it.
Eric.
Under the same note. You also failed to provide any information on how your manufacturer traps fared, percentages, proof of testing. You are doing a disservice to you own trap. Don’t gripe unless you are posting a statistical, proven reason why your manufacturer traps are better.
You must be a store owner who wants to sell $50 traps to keep your store lights in on in your Cadillac full of gas
We had hundreds of these bugs in our garden shed. I used a Raid concentrated fogger commonly used to kill fleas in a house. There are dead stink bugs all over. I plan to use it again in a couple of weeks.
Of course this wouldn’t work outside.
These bugs have infested our small garden – we live near Portland, OR
Sounds like Eric has a vested interest in a commercial trap.
http://www.concordmonitor.com/home/11947584-95/va-tech-studies-best-way-to-kill-stink-bugs
This link provides further details concerning the stink bug trap testing of home made trap vs several commercial offerings,
Just wondering if any proven methods to catch stinkbugs before coming in house – I see a lot of them on the outside of the windows and on the eaves.
Thanks – Travu
Did you ever find out if you can stop them on the outside other than sealing holes or cracks in the inside??
YES! YES! YES! THIS HOME REMEDY WORKS!
In one overnight solution I killed all/over 100 stink bugs that infested my garage by following this FREE solution.
What I did was –
* Turkey roaster pan filled with one inch hot dish-soap solution, about .25 cup dish soap
* Zippy tied mini LED flashlight to pan- only overnight light source
* Inserted silk plant twig cutting as a food decoy
Last night at sunset I discovered the bugs inadvertently when I went into garage to put something away near the garage window, and caused the bugs that clung on the window to move around. I was stunned by the amount of bugs, well over 100, that just either hatched or woke up from winter, and were now clinging to the window to escape and eat.
I researched solutions online, found this advice, AND IT WORKED! This morning I checked my garage window and ZERO bugs on the window, and over 100 stink bugs floating in the pan.
THANK YOU