Got stinkbugs? You’re not the only one. Remember that the annual lady beetle invasion is due sometime in the next two weeks, too. #
News and meta-news about Charlottesville, VA, since 2001.
Sideblog
Police announced this afternoon that their investigation into what was initially believed to be a fatal fire on Rugby Avenue is now a homicide investigation. #
The Virginia Supreme Court has denied George Huguely’s appeal. His second-degree murder conviction will stand, WRIC reports. #
In a carefully worded story, and not citing specific sources, WTVR reports that forensic evidence belonging to Jesse Matthew Jr., the main suspect in the disappearance of Hannah Graham, matches forensic evidence collected during the investigation of Morgan Harrington’s 2009 murder. #
In the wake of Hannah Graham’s disappearance, and the evidence that came from private security footage, city officials are revisiting the question of installing security cameras on the downtown mall. #
Both Charlottesville Registrar Sheri Iachetta and former Electoral Board member Stephanie Commander have turned themselves in to the police on
foursix and four felony counts of embezzlement, respectively. #Ten years ago, the National Institutes of Health budget doubled and schools like the University of Virginia built massive new research facilities. A decade later, those buildings remain largely underutilized. NPR visits UVA in this story on the effect of federal binge and spurge spending in the sciences. #
In 2012, Council approved a new student housing complex on West Main—now some council members are questioning whether what they were shown matches what was built. #
The Architectural Review Board has approved a bike-themed mural on West Market, below the McGuffey Art Center, although at least one member expressed concerns that it might look like the bicyclists were riding away from Charlottesville’s downtown. #
City Police Chief Tim Longo is meeting with city leaders to work on protocols regarding the use of military surplus police weapons in Charlottesville. #
A 100-year-old Colonnades resident received military honors for her service in the WWII Women’s Army Corps #
-
Archive for Sideblog »
They are everywhere in my house: on the floors, in the window sills, under the beds. I don’t know how they’re getting in, either. The worst was when I went to grab a tissue and stinkbugs fell out onto me. Aghhh!!!!
Damn invasive species. If I recall correctly, they don’t have any natural predators in the area.
Help us, Natural Heritage Committee.
I thought the comment in the newsplex story about the parents at Pen Park being fed up was strange. I guess we only want cute and friendly animals in our parks? They might smell bad, but they’re not hurting anything. I agree that I don’t like having them in my house.
In NJ we have experienced a major infestation from this smelly pest, with every year becoming worse than the last. I hate to use poisons but I found an alternative product that seems work on their attack and may not be as detrimental to the environment. ‘[Product Name Redacted]’ This cleaner and disinfectant comes in a trigger spray 32 oz bottle and in a gallon container.
I sprayed it into the tracks of my storm windows and the effect was total carnage!!!!! If they didn’t die within the first minute they were certainly on their way to “belly-up”. It seems to work faster if the spray hits them on their underside but the longer death suits these pests also.
I took this a step further and purchased a gallon of this cleaner and used it with a siphon in my pressure washer and sprayed the entire house. I tried to avoid getting it on the roof but after letting it soak for several minutes I then proceeded to rinse it off. I followed this by going up on the roof with the trigger bottle and sprayed the ridge vent, gutter edge and chimney. When finished I cleaned the bird baths to rid any over spray that may have occurred.
So far this method seems to be favorable in not only killing the bug but due the the odor of the cleaner it deters them away from returning to the house.
We’re coming up on lady beetle season, too. Generally we have a cold snap in mid-October (as has started today), and then I final burst of a day or two of warm weather, generally a few days before Halloween. That’s when the asian lady beetles invade. Every year these ladybug look-alikes fill up the house, attempting to hibernate, and we spend months finding them in our clothes, food, drawers, etc. When disturbed, they release a nasty odor, making it even more pleasant. For the last few years I’ve had a lot of luck tarping the east face of the house, which is where they tend to congregate, and spraying the tarp down with a nasty pesticide. I leave that up for a few days, wait until the invasion subsides, and that’s the end of them.
Anyhow, for those of you who deal with the same invasion annually, here’s your warning: they’re coming.
We go to Pen Park a few times a week. I’m not irritated by the stink bugs. I shoo them, they fly away. I’ve yet to be stinkified by one. The peanut shells invariably left on the playstructure after ball games? Those are scary.
It does bother me that they’re a non-native species without any local predators. I don’t like tipping the scale that way. I’ve figured out where they lay eggs around my deck and those spots get cleaned regularly. Hint: they like closed patio/shade umbrellas, not just leaves.
“kkh”, I would be somewhat less suspicious that your post is a bit of astroturfing for a commercial product if you hadn’t posted the identical comment on a Delaware newspaper website (http://www.delcotimes.com/articles/2009/10/13/life/doc4ad48ea0d7f2f786921408.txt). I hope I’m wrong and you’re just sharing this out of altruism. (For that matter, I used to use rubbing alcohol with a squirt gun to kill cockroaches, but I’m not sure it qualifies as the first line of defense against them.)
Thanks for spotting that, David. It certainly smelled spammy to me—I even used Technorati and Google Blogs to search for the product name, but didn’t turn anything up this morning. I’ve redacted the product name and let the comment stand.
Those little critters have been my office mates for the past four years! For about 48 weeks per year, I think I have the best office in the building. For about a month, I have as many as 20 visitors in my office each day.
The years I have ignored them, they were here in greater numbers. I wonder if they have a way of letting their friends know that there’s safety and warmth to be found in Peabody Hall.
They’re kind of cute, the way they trundle along, and pathetically easy to catch. I read that they must lay their eggs outside, on leaves, so I guess we can take comfort in the fact that they aren’t breeding in our houses. Still, on days when I see a lot on our windows, I collect them in a small container and flush them down the toilet.
They came to Pennsylvania via cargo ship, I believe, and like others have said, they have no natural predators. I don’t think pesticides really touch them, either. I went to college in SE PA and we were inundated with them in the dorms. This was 7-8 years ago. It was awful. Looks like they are migrating. I’m telling you it was like a swarm and if you think this is bad, just wait a couple years. They can get into your house through your fireplace. Although they are a large bug, they are fairly flat and can get into narrow spaces.
I hate those fake lady bugs too.
the mimic bugs are here.