Tag: Tricks

This trap eliminated 14 times more stink bugs than store-bought traps that cost up to $50

‘Tis the season for stink bugs, and before you know it, you might start seeing them everywhere. But if you think you need some kind of expensive, complicated way to get rid of them, think again.

A group of researchers from Virginia Tech University conducted a study that found that instead of a fancy contraption, all you need is a pan of water and a light to attract the bugs to their doom.

The necessary supplies:

• A large pan (an aluminum foil one if you want to toss it, because honestly, who wants to reuse a pan that’s had bugs floating in it?)
• Water and dish soap
• A light to attract the bugs

The Virginia Tech team has proven that homemade, inexpensive stink bug traps crafted from simple household items outshine pricier models designed to kill the invasive, annoying bugs.

Researchers from the university’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences found the best way to get rid of the little buggers: Just 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. The homemade model is comparatively cheap — roasting pan, dish soap, light — and homeowners might already own the components.

By the way, a stink bug’s ability to emit an odor through holes in its abdomen is a defense mechanism, meant to prevent it from being eaten by birds and lizards. Simply handling the bug, injuring it, or attempting to move it can trigger an odor release.