Usually not continuously. Most overwintering stink bugs remain relatively inactive, but warmth can wake them temporarily.
Stink bugs often enter into structures during the fall. Their intent is to overwinter and get out of the cold where they’re exposed. They first mass on walls and then move into cracks as they find them, because that’s the best way to stay in warmer attics and wall voids. That doesn’t mean they will stay in there the entire winter with no interruption, though.
Stink bugs largely go unseen when it’s cold outside. But if there is an unseasonably warm day or two, or the indoor heating just runs hot on a particular day, that can bring the pests out of dormancy for a little while. Then they become active and wander toward windows, ceilings, and living areas. After temperatures drop again, activity may decline.
This stop-and-start pattern can continue throughout the winter. But that does not normally mean stink bugs are reproducing throughout the house. The visible insects are often adults that entered during fall, waking up.
If you spot individual bugs, you can always vacuum them up and take the bag outside or drop them into a dish of soap and water to handle the immediate nuisance. That doesn’t fix how they got in, though. For that, it helps to do some pest exclusion work in the fall first. You can do this by checking screens, window and door frames, siding transitions, soffits, attic vents, rooflines, and utility penetrations for gaps. Then seal any you find while making sure you don’t interfere with proper ventilation.
If stink bugs are becoming a problem around your Northwest Indiana property, Mosquito Squad of Northwest Indiana can help with pest control around the property. Call (219) 402-3344 or request a free quote online.
