stink bugs in houseplants

I read your article about these pesty bugs. I am finding them around the house. I live in MD. I have killed about 20 in the past few months. Do I have a problem and if so what should the first step be. I have a lot of plants in the house and I bet that’s were they are. Thanks K.

Many people keep plants outside during the warm summer months and bring them inside when it gets cool. Over the course of summer, many of these plants will attract insects which go unnoticed when outside. Once in the home, these insects can remain active even as winter takes hold outside. If left untreated, they will many times become a major problem if they can successfully nest and start to reproduce in the living areas.

To prevent this from happening, each plant should be thoroughly treated 1-2 during the summer and then again just prior to being brought inside. This can be done outside during the warm part of the day and in most areas of the U.S. – even MD – it’s still mild enough in November to bring them out for a few hours. If possible, take the plants to an open area in the yard. Thoroughly treat them with CYONARA RTS or BUG PATROL RTS. Cyonara will prove more effective and one treatment should take care of any insects active on your plants. Bug Patrol RTS would be the organic equivalent to Cyonara. Though not as strong as Cyonara, it will work equally as well. Be sure to thoroughly coat your plants and let them sit for at least one hour to dry before bringing them back inside. And be sure to soak the potted soil. Many insects like stink bugs, mealy bugs, thrips and others will lay eggs in the dirt of on the leaf litter that so commonly accumulates in the pot.

Once the plants are brought back inside house, inspect them daily for 1-2 weeks to ensure no new further insect activity is noted. A good product to use in the home is the organic HOUSE PLANT INSECT KILLER. This product is safe enough to spray directly on the plants and it can be used inside the home any time of year. I suggest keeping a can of this readily available for a way to quickly treat any insect activity noted inside.

Keeping houseplants outside during the summer months is a practice shared by many homeowners across the United States. When it comes time to bring these plants back into the home it should come as no surprise that many times unwelcome guests come along for the ride. Stink bugs are one such pest as are mealy bugs, aphids and whiteflies. To ensure no insect is brought into your home, a simple treatment or two during the summer with the Cyonara or Bug Patrol is all you need to do. Be sure to treat the soil of the potted plant during these applications since many insects will lay eggs in the dirt. Once inside the home, the plants can be treated with houseplant insect killer if no new activity is noted. This simple maintenance program will keep your house plants insect free and help to avoid unwanted invasive insects from getting inside the home.