Stink bug control · Southeast Michigan
Stink Bug Control in Ann Arbor and Southeast Michigan
Stink bugs are looking for somewhere to spend winter, not for food. They gather on warm walls in autumn and work their way into attics and wall voids. The smell only happens if you crush one. Get an exterminator out while they are still on the outside of the house.
Quick answers
Stink bug control in Southeast Michigan: the quick facts
Like boxelder bugs, stink bugs are looking for somewhere to overwinter, not for food. They gather on warm walls in autumn and work their way into attics and wall voids. The smell only happens when they are crushed or vacuumed, which is worth knowing before reaching for the vacuum.
- Most common here
- Brown marmorated stink bug
- Shield-shaped and mottled, with pale bands on the antennae. Introduced, and now widespread here.
- Worst months
- Aug to Oct
- The months with the most sightings in Michigan, from public records anyone can check.
- How it gets in
- Warm walls, attics and wall voids
- Around window frames, under siding and through gable vents. Autumn sealing beats winter spraying.
- Included in
- The Honorable Shield plan
- Covered by the plan, with free re-treatment between visits. Or book one visit.
Stink bugs in Michigan.
Every fall, brown marmorated stink bugs gather on warm walls and look for a way inside. They do not bite or damage the house, but crushing one releases the smell.
We find the gaps they use, treat the walls they gather on, and deal with the ones already inside.
Seasonal pattern
When are brown marmorated stink bugs worst in Michigan?
This is when brown marmorated stink bugs are actually recorded in Michigan, month by month, from public observation records rather than from a guess.
Warning signs
How stink bugs announce themselves.
Clusters on exterior walls
Large groups of shield-shaped bugs gathering on sunny, south-facing walls of your home, especially in September and October.
Bugs appearing indoors
Finding stink bugs on curtains, lampshades, or windows inside your home, especially on warm winter days when they emerge from hiding.
Foul odor in rooms
A strong, unpleasant smell when vacuuming, moving furniture, or in rooms where stink bugs have been crushed or disturbed.
Dead bugs in light fixtures
Finding dead stink bugs accumulating in ceiling lights, window sills, and between window screens and glass.
What to look for
What a stink bug problem looks like at home.
Stink bugs gather on warm walls in fall and turn up indoors all winter. These are six of the things people notice, and what each one tells us.
Brown shield-shaped bugs warming up on the siding in fall. They are looking for a way in for the winter.
One indoors on a mild day came out of a wall or attic. Do not crush it, or it leaves the smell behind.
Dead bugs in a light globe are common by late winter. They crawl toward warmth and light.
Screens and window frames are the first stop. A torn screen or loose frame lets them through.
They do not breed indoors or eat your food. Pick it up with a tissue or vacuum it instead.
Stink bugs rest high on walls and frames. Seeing a few all winter is normal once they are in the walls.
How our exterminators get rid of stink bugs.
We don't just kill the bugs you see. We treat the outside before they move in, and show you the gaps they use so you can get them closed.
Find every way in
We thoroughly inspect your home's exterior, especially south-facing walls, window frames, soffits, and utility penetrations, to identify every crack and gap stink bugs use to get inside.
Handle the ones already inside
Once stink bugs are in the walls, you can't spray your way out of it. We treat around the windows and openings where they come out, and the outside surfaces where they gather. We use products labeled for stink bugs and apply them to the label. For the ones you see, a vacuum keeps you from crushing them and releasing the smell.
Treat it before next fall
We treat the outside walls where stink bugs gather and walk you around the entry points we find, so you can get them sealed. Best done in late summer, before the fall invasion begins.
Every stink bug control visit
The full Honorable TriShield™, every time.
Three layers. The house, the lawn, then the property line. Not a rushed spray along your baseboards. A cheap quote usually skips two of the three.
Foundation barrier
Three feet up the wall. Three feet out from it. All the way round the house, plus windows, doors, the garage and the roofline. That strip is the road bugs use to get in.
Measured with a tape, not eyeballed
Granular yard moat
A ring of granules across the lawn. Rain wakes it back up. So does your sprinkler. In a Michigan summer that is most weeks.
Skipped by most companies. Granular costs money.
Property line
We spray the whole property line. Bugs get stopped at the edge of your yard, not at your back door.
The layer a cheaper quote quietly leaves out
How to tell a stink bug from its look-alikes.
These are the stink bugs and look-alikes people call us about that have confirmed sightings in Washtenaw, Oakland, Wayne and Livingston counties. Each one is identified by independent naturalists, so the animal in the photo is the animal named.
The fall invader. Banded antennae and a mottled brown shield.
Often mistaken for a stink bug. Also moves indoors in fall.
Bright green. A garden bug that sometimes ends up on the siding.
The native one. Plainer brown, and seldom comes inside in numbers.
All of these have confirmed sightings in Washtenaw, Oakland, Wayne and Livingston counties. Records from iNaturalist research-grade observations, pulled 2026-09-25. Photos: Brown marmorated stink bug by Amelia Tauber (CC BY); Western conifer seed bug by Gavin Slater (CC BY); Green stink bug by Bernie Paquette (CC BY); Brown stink bug by Adrienne van den Beemt (CC BY).
What it costs
Stink bug control is included in the Honorable Shield plan.
There is no special tier to buy. Stink bugs are covered by the normal plan. If they come back between visits, so do we, free, within 48 hours. Your price depends on the size of your house, not on which bug you have.
| Honorable ShieldRecurring | One-time treatmentSingle visit | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Keeping them out all year | Killing off one problem now |
| You get | All three barrier layers, every visit, on a schedule | All three barrier layers, one time |
| If they come back | We treat again, free | A follow-up is $247 |
| Other pests | Over 20 pests, rodents included | This one only |
| Price | From $61 a month | From $497 |
Prices are the starting figures: a home up to 1,000 square feet, or half an acre for yard work. What is covered is set out in the plan terms.
Stink bug control, answered straight.
Why do stink bugs invade Michigan homes in the fall?
Brown marmorated stink bugs seek warm shelter as temperatures drop in September and October. They are attracted to south-facing walls that absorb sunlight, and they squeeze through tiny cracks around windows, doors, siding, and utility pipes to overwinter inside your walls and attic. Once inside, they release pheromones that attract hundreds more.
Are stink bugs dangerous to my family or pets?
Stink bugs are not dangerous. They do not bite, sting, or spread disease. However, when crushed or disturbed they release a foul-smelling chemical that can stain fabrics, walls, and surfaces. In large numbers they become a serious nuisance and can trigger allergic reactions in sensitive individuals.
Why shouldn't I crush stink bugs?
Crushing a stink bug releases a pungent odor from defensive glands on their abdomen. This smell is extremely difficult to remove from fabrics and surfaces, and it can actually attract more stink bugs to the area. Instead, vacuum them up (dispose of the bag immediately) or contact a professional for proper removal.
When is stink bug season in Michigan?
Stink bugs are most active outdoors from May through September, feeding on fruits and vegetables. The major home invasion season is September through November when they seek overwintering shelter. They may also become active inside homes on warm winter days, emerging from walls and attics confused by the warmth.
Can I prevent stink bugs from getting into my house?
Closing the gaps is the best prevention: cracks around windows, doors, siding and utility entries. We don't seal or caulk ourselves. We treat the outside walls before fall and show you every gap we find, so you or a contractor can close them before stink bug season begins.
Pest-Free Guarantee
They come back? So do we, free.
On Honorable Shield, see a covered pest between visits? We come back within 48 hours and treat it again. You pay nothing.
Stink bug control where you live.
Old streets with big trees get different bugs than new build on cleared ground. Pick your town to see what we actually find there.
That is not all of them. See all 38 towns, or ask us if we reach your street.
Other pests we treat
One plan covers every one of these. No extra charge when something different shows up.
From our blog
Every visit includes all three barrier layers. See what we treat, or ask an exterminator.
Stink bug control · Licensed and insured
Don't Let Stink Bugs Take Over This Fall
The best time to stop a stink bug invasion is before it starts. Call us today for a free quote and get your home protected before fall.
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