Q: How can I tell if I have stink bugs?
A: Stink bug infestations are relatively easy to identify. If you find crawling, flying, or dead stink bugs in your home, there could be many more lurking. Look for pests that have a brown, shield-shaped exterior and antennae. Adult brown marmorated stink bugs (the most common in our area) are about the size of a penny. Indoors, you can find them by window frames, screening, and fireplaces.
Q: Why do I have stink bugs?
A: Stink bugs seek out warmth when the weather becomes cool in late fall. Because they cannot survive in the harsh cold, they venture in your home to stay safe through the winter. Once spring comes, they will leave your home to live outdoors. If they can find small cracks, crevices, or openings around the exterior of your home, your house is susceptible to stink bugs activity.
Q: Are stink bugs dangerous?
A: Stink bugs do not bite. They also do not infest pantries or other human food. Their presence is more of a general disturbance to those who don’t want to deal with unsightly stink bugs crawling or flying indoors. In general, stink bugs prefer to hide within wall voids, attics, and other spaces that are out of sight. "There can be large groups of stink bugs living in your walls without your knowledge".
Q: How does Cooper prevent stink bug infestations?
A: Cooper’s Stink Bug Prevention Plan aims to prevent stink bugs before stink bug season begins. The plan can begin as early as August 15th and as late as September 30th. A repellent barrier is applied to the exterior of your home, focusing on spaces where stink bugs can enter. This can include windows, door frames, fascia boards, cracks in the foundation, cracks where your chimney meets the house, rooflines, vents, or other spaces where the technician deems a potential stink bug entry point. An optional attic treatment is available for additional coverage. The Stink Bug Prevention Plan is only suggested for those who have historical stink bug problems at their home. If you find an occasional one or two stink bugs in your home throughout the year, it’s likely that they just wandered in through an opening on the exterior of your home. Vacuum them up and throw them away in an outdoors garbage can immediately.
Q: Can the treatment hurt my kids or pets?
A: The treatment is environmentally-friendly. After the application dries, which can take up to 4 hours depending on the weather, the treatment will not affect your family or pets.
Q: What time of year can I start the stink bug prevention plan?
A: Stink bug prevention must be done before October 1st for the maximum effectiveness. This plan is all about preventing them before stink bug season begins in the fall. Treatments can start as soon as August 15th. If you begin the Stink Bug Prevention Plan during this time period, there will be 80-90% effectiveness. A free, optional attic treatment is also available for those who start service before October 1st. Attic treatments ensure that the effectiveness of the Stink Bug Prevention Plan increase to 90-100% effectiveness. October services are available. However, you will not receive a guarantee. The Stink Bug Prevention Plan cannot be performed later than October 31st.
Q: What happens if I see stink bugs after the treatment?
A: If you’ve started service August 15-September 30th, you should call us if you see an unacceptable amount of stink bugs. You will have three service calls available, within a 90 day period from the application, so we can insure your problem is resolved. If you’ve started service after September 30th, there are no additional service calls available for your service. If you see stink bugs in the spring, there is no need to worry. Stink bugs leave hiding places to live outdoors when it becomes warm. They are on their way out, not in.
Q: Can you get rid of an active stink bug infestation?
A: It’s not possible to get rid of 100% of the stink bugs in your home once they have infested. Because stink bugs gather in large numbers within hard to reach spaces such as wall voids and chimneys, complete elimination is typically unsuccessful. That’s why it’s so important to prevent stink bugs before they get into your home.
Q: Is the service guaranteed?
A: Our treatment is only guaranteed if service is provided before October 1st. The ideal service window is from August 15th-September 30th for 80-90% effectiveness. Three additional retreatments are available for clients who begin service during this ideal time period. However, we can still effectively treat for stink bugs after October 1-31st, but the service is not guaranteed to prevent stink bugs. Typical results from services in the month of October are 75-85% reduction of stink bugs in your home.
Q: Can I have stink bug prevention at my condo or apartment?
A: If you live in a connected unit, please call our office at 1-800-949-2667 for further assistance.
