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Brown Marmorated Stink Bug — species photo
Daniel Brady · NH-Licensed Pesticide Applicator · License #782664

How to Get Rid of Brown Marmorated Stink Bugs

DIY-friendly
To get rid of brown marmorated stink bugs, seal cracks around windows, doors, soffits, and vents before they seek winter shelter, and remove indoor bugs by capturing them in a jar or knocking them into soapy water — never crush or vacuum them casually, since both release their signature odor (vacuuming leaves the smell in the machine). In Manchester, seal before the average first hard frost, roughly October 19–29. A timed exterior treatment can help tree-heavy properties, but indoor sprays are unnecessary and won't stop bugs already inside the walls. In New Hampshire this is a household nuisance, not the agricultural threat it is in mid-Atlantic states, and it does not bite people.

At a glance

  • Difficulty: Beginner
  • Time: A weekend of sealing before fall; ongoing capture or trapping through the season
  • Cost: Low — caulk, screen, and a jar or soapy-water trap
  • Success: Good for keeping most out with fall sealing; tree-heavy properties will still see some each year
The honest answer

Can you DIY Brown Marmorated Stink Bug?

The verdict on Brown Marmorated Stink Bug DIY

DIY-friendlyBeginner

A beginner-friendly DIY — the odor is the whole problem, not your safety.

The brown marmorated stink bug (Halyomorpha halys) is an invasive species from Asia, first found in the US in Allentown, PA in 1996 and confirmed in New Hampshire in Portsmouth in summer 2010. In NH it remains a home nuisance, not an agricultural threat the way it is in mid-Atlantic orchards. It doesn't bite people; the only issue is a strong defensive odor released when it's handled or crushed. Sealing gaps and capturing or trapping the bugs handle a typical home without a pro.

The playbook

The 5 DIY methods — honestly graded

Every approach graded for this species, in IPM order — prevention first, chemistry late. Pick a method to see how it works, the steps, and what it actually takes.

Prevention / Exclusion

Works well

The most durable fix — works when done BEFORE the fall push; does nothing once bugs are already inside.

Stink bugs seek sheltered overwintering sites in fall and enter through small gaps in the building envelope. Closing those gaps ahead of the seasonal push is what actually reduces next year's numbers.

Best for: Reducing the annual fall invasion

  1. Seal cracks and screen vents

    Caulk cracks around windows, doors, and utility penetrations; screen attic and soffit vents; repair torn screens.

    Tip
    Do this in late summer to early fall, before the ~Oct 19–29 first hard frost in Manchester.
    Caution
    Buildings near many trees are hit hardest — expect ongoing pressure even with good sealing.

Tools & materials

Caulk and caulking gunScreen repair kitExpanding foam
Before you start
Timing is everything — this is a late-summer job, not a December one.
Reality check

Why DIY falls short here

Not scare tactics — the specific, proportionate reasons a home attempt can stall for this species.

Landscape pressure

Tree-heavy lots get re-pressured every fall regardless of sealing quality — expect recurring bugs each year, not a one-time fix.

Odor management

Vacuuming, while effective, stinks up the machine; homeowners who don't plan for this get frustrated and reach for ineffective indoor sprays instead.

Overwintering in voids

Some bugs that entered the walls the previous fall emerge indoors on warm winter days regardless of how well you sealed after the fact — that's not a sealing failure, it's a timing reality.

Straight talk

How risky is it, really?

An honest read — most nuisance species are genuinely low risk, and we say so.

Low risk

Brown marmorated stink bugs are a household nuisance in New Hampshire, not a health threat — they don't bite people. The main complaint is the strong odor released when they're handled or crushed. Their status as a serious agricultural pest is a regional-crop concern in mid-Atlantic states, not a home-health issue here.

  • Strong defensive odor when handled or crushedCommon

    Only when disturbed or crushed — capture, trap, or gently vacuum instead

    UNH Cooperative Extension

  • Bite or sting to peopleRare

    This species does not bite people to feed; it has no venom or disease link

    UNH Cooperative Extension

  • Agricultural crop damageOccasional

    A serious concern for mid-Atlantic orchard growers, with substantial regional apple-crop losses documented in 2010, but NH populations remain nuisance-level for homeowners

    USDA / Journal of Integrated Pest Management

When to call a pro

Tired of the Annual Stink Bug Invasion?

Sealing a tree-heavy property is a bigger job than most homeowners plan for. Anchor Pest Services handles exclusion and correctly-timed exterior treatment across southern and central New Hampshire. Family-owned since 2017, NH license #782664.

Call a pro when…

  • Year after year of heavy fall invasions despite your own sealing
  • Entry points you can't safely reach (high soffits, multi-story fascia)
  • You want a timed exterior barrier applied correctly in the pre-entry window

General Pest Control

You rarely need a pro for brown marmorated stink bugs in a typical NH home — this is a seal-and-capture job. The exception is a tree-heavy property under heavy annual pressure where a correctly-timed exterior barrier is worth the labor savings.

Get a Free inspection(603) 785-0118

Keep them out

  • Seal exterior gaps before the first hard frost (~mid-to-late October in Manchester)
  • Use soapy-water traps to avoid odor buildup in your vacuum
  • Never crush — capture or trap instead
New Hampshire context

Brown marmorated stink bugs in New Hampshire

This invasive species was first confirmed in NH in Portsmouth in summer 2010, per UNH Cooperative Extension, and has since spread as a household nuisance across the state. It remains a home-invasion problem here rather than the crop-damaging pest it is in mid-Atlantic orchards. The fall push toward shelter lines up with Manchester's average first hard frost, roughly October 19–29 (NOAA).

Peak season

Fall, just before the first hard frost

First-frost anchor

Manchester first hard frost ~Oct 19 (50%) / Oct 29 (80%), NOAA 1991–2020

Before you treat

Make sure it's a Brown Marmorated Stink Bug

Two quick detours worth taking — confirm the ID, then learn what drew it in so it doesn't come back.

Not sure it's this?

Identify Brown Marmorated Stink Bug in the Pest Library

Why is it here?

What actually attracts Brown Marmorated Stink Bug

Common questions

Frequently asked

Sources & further reading(3)
  1. [1]
    UNH Cooperative Extension — Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (BMSB)

    NH establishment history (Portsmouth, 2010), nuisance-only status, control recommendations

    extensionverified 2026-07-13
  2. [2]
    UNH Cooperative Extension — Seasonal Insect Invaders of New Hampshire Homes

    Fall exclusion timing for NH overwintering invaders

    extensionverified 2026-07-13
  3. [3]
    Journal of Integrated Pest Management — Brown Marmorated Stink Bug Biology and Management

    US establishment history, agricultural damage figures

    academicverified 2026-07-13

Written & reviewed by

Verified

Daniel Brady

NH-Licensed Pesticide Applicator · License #782664 (NHDAMF, RSA 430)

Daniel Brady is the New Hampshire–licensed applicator behind Anchor Pest Services, a family-owned pest control company serving the Manchester area since 2017.

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Last updated July 2026

More in Household & Occasional Invaders

Other species you can tackle

Same category — the dot shows each one's DIY verdict at a glance (green = friendly, amber = doable with care, red = call a pro).

Professional Pest Control

Tired of the Annual Stink Bug Invasion?

Sealing a tree-heavy property is a bigger job than most homeowners plan for. Anchor Pest Services handles exclusion and correctly-timed exterior treatment across southern and central New Hampshire. Family-owned since 2017, NH license #782664.

Get a Free inspection(603) 785-0118
  • Timed pre-frost exclusion
  • NH-licensed applicators (#782664)
  • Free inspection — same-day service across southern NH

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