Start in late summer, around August into early September, before stink bugs begin looking for winter shelter. Once cooler weather pushes them toward your walls in fall, they're much harder to keep out.
If you’re already seeing stink bugs clustering on the sunny side of the house in October, you're already behind. Keeping stink bugs out of your house requires early prevention work to prevent them from flocking to your house in the first place.
From about August to early September, stink bugs are preparing for winter. They’re still outside feeding and you have time to close them out before they start seeking shelter. Then early fall comes, September into October, and they start migrating toward warming structures as nights cool. They tend to gather on south- and west-facing walls in the afternoon sun and work their way into gaps. That’s when unprepared homes get invaded. By the time they’ve settled into wall voids for winter, your options are limited because you cannot easily reach or treat them in there.
So the prep belongs in late summer, and it comes down to a few tasks. Seal the entry points: caulk gaps around windows, doors, utility lines, and vents, repair torn screens, and check where the siding meets trim. Check weather-stripping and screen the attic vents, and don’t forget the garage door seal.
If stink bugs have historically been a problem for your home, consider an exterior perimeter treatment. This can intercept the bugs as they mass on the walls rather than after they're inside.
If you're tired of the same fall invasion every year, Mosquito Squad of Franklin & Framingham can help. Mosquito Squad offers exterior perimeter treatments timed before the migration to help keep stink bugs out. These are always applied by a trained technician alongside the barrier service that delivers up to 90% reduction in mosquito activity on a 21-day cycle.
