Austin, TX and 25 more cities
Stink bug control
The fall crowd on the sunny wall, the window screens and the curtains. Kept outside before they look for a place to spend the winter.
Quick answers
Stink bug control in Central Texas: the quick facts
Stink bugs are shield-shaped plant feeders that give off a bad smell when handled. They can have up to five generations a year in Texas, and numbers build to a peak in fall, just before the adults look for shelter for the winter. They do not bite people or damage the house. Stink bugs are covered on the general pest plan from $66 a month.
- Peak season
- Fall
- Numbers build all summer and peak before the adults overwinter.
- The tell
- The smell
- Scent glands release a sharp odor when they are handled or crushed.
- Risk
- A nuisance
- They do not bite people. They feed on plants and fruit.
- Included in
- The $66/mo plan
- Stink bugs are on the general pest plan.
Written by the Bastion Pest Control service team · Licensed & insured in Texas · Last updated
Stink bugs in Central Texas.
Stink bugs are shield-shaped bugs that feed on plants by piercing them and sucking out the juice. The southern green stink bug, the most common one in Texas gardens, is solid green and 1/2 to 3/4 inch long, and like the rest it has well developed scent glands that release a disagreeable odor when handled (Texas A&M AgriLife). It can run through up to five generations in a year.
That is why fall is the bad time. By October the yard holds the biggest crowd of the year, all looking for a sheltered spot to spend the winter, and the sunny side of the house, the window screens and the gaps around frames are right there. Keep them outside and the problem stays in the garden.
Seasonal pattern
When are stink bugs worst in Austin?
Stink bugs build up generation after generation through the warm months, so the crowd is biggest in fall, right before the adults go looking for a place to spend the winter.
- Generations
- Up to five a year
- Each one adds to the crowd that peaks in fall.
- Fall
- Looking for shelter
- Adults gather on sunny walls and around windows.
- Winter
- Hiding, not gone
- They wait out the cold in gaps and come back out in spring.
Warning signs
Shields on the sunny wall.
Shield-shaped bugs gathering on the sunny side of the house in fall
Stink bugs on window screens and around frames
A sharp, unpleasant smell when one is crushed
Hard, scarred spots on garden tomatoes and peaches
Do not crush them inside. Texas A&M suggests a vacuum instead of a spray for bugs indoors, so you do not end up with a smell or a pile of dead ones. Then call us at 843-480-8699 and we will keep the rest outside.
How we keep stink bugs out.
Inspect
We check where they gather and get in: sunny walls, window and door frames, screens and gaps in the trim.
Treat
A band around the windows, doors and sunny walls where they land before they find a way in.
Entry points
A treatment into the gaps where pipes, wires and vents pass through the wall, the other ways they get inside.
How to tell it is actually stink bugs.
The shield shape gives them away, and so does the smell. Where you find them tells you whether it is a garden problem or a house problem.
In fall they gather where the sun hits the house, right next to the windows they will try to get through.
Texas A&M says their feeding leaves deformed young fruit and hard, off-color spots in ripe fruit. Tomatoes and peaches take the worst of it.
One that got in during fall, out on a warm winter day. Vacuum it up instead of crushing it, or the room will smell.
Know your pest
The stink bugs you might find in Central Texas.
Texas A&M lists several stink bugs in Texas. These three are the ones most people notice around homes and gardens.
Not sure what you have got? Text a photo to 843-480-8699 and we will tell you.
Pest-Free Guarantee
They come back? So do we, free.
Free re-treatments between scheduled visits on any recurring plan.
What it costs
Stink bug control is included in the general pest plan.
Stink bugs ride on the recurring general pest plan at no extra charge. The windows, doors and sunny walls get treated, and if they show up between visits, the re-treatment is free.
| General pest planRecurring | One-time treatmentSingle visit | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is for | Keeping stink bugs and the other pests out year-round | Clearing one fall crowd |
| Right for you if | They come back every October | You want one cleanup before the holidays |
| What you get | Full TriBarrier™ every visit, foundation, yard and property line | One full TriBarrier™ treatment |
| If they come back | We re-treat free, with no limit and no trip fee | A return visit is a new charge |
| Other pests covered | Ants, spiders, cockroaches, scorpions, wasps and rodents | Stink bugs only |
| Price | From $66 a month* | Quoted per job* |
Stink bugs that get inside in fall can stay hidden in the walls until spring, so the work that counts happens before they move in. A recurring plan has the perimeter treated when the fall crowd arrives.
* Starting price. Your exact number depends on home size, lot size and current pest pressure.
Stink Bug Control, answered straight.
Are stink bugs harmful?
Not to people or pets. They do not bite or carry disease, and they do not damage the house. The trouble is the smell they release when handled or crushed, and the damage they do to garden fruit like tomatoes and peaches.
Why are there so many stink bugs in the fall?
Because the whole year adds up. Texas A&M says the southern green stink bug can have up to five generations a year, with greater numbers in the fall before adults overwinter. Those adults look for sheltered spots, and the sunny side of a house, window frames and gaps in the trim are the closest.
Should I crush or spray stink bugs inside?
Neither. Crushing one releases the smell, and Texas A&M recommends a vacuum over sprays indoors, because killing a crowd inside leaves you with dead bugs and odor. Vacuum them up and empty the bag or canister outside.
Are the stink bugs around Austin the invasive brown marmorated kind?
Not the ones we usually see. The brown marmorated stink bug is the one that floods homes in other states, and when Texas A&M wrote about it in 2012, the only confirmed find in Texas was in a travel trailer brought from Pennsylvania. Around Austin, the stink bugs on walls and windows are almost always native species like the southern green and brown stink bugs.
How do I keep stink bugs out of my house?
Close the way in before fall. Repair torn window screens, seal gaps around window and door frames and where pipes and wires enter, and fit door sweeps. A treated band around the windows, doors and sunny walls handles the ones that still land on the house.
Does the $66 monthly pest plan cover stink bugs?
Yes. Stink bugs are on the recurring general pest plan from $66 a month at no extra charge, along with ants, spiders, cockroaches, scorpions, wasps and rodents. If they show up between visits, the re-treatment is free.
More questions? Read the full FAQ or get a free quote.
Other pests we treat
One recurring plan covers the everyday pests, add-ons cover the rest, and termites are their own job.
Every plan includes the full TriBarrier™ treatment. See all services →
Answered 24 hours · Austin, TX
Ready to be done with it?
Quotes are free, there is no inspection fee, and the phone is answered around the clock. Same-day service is usually open across the metro.