Fun with stink bugs

[Paul and Santina]

I’d like to share an interesting story with my fellow Oliver Travel Trailer travelers. We picked up our Oliver LE2 in March, ‘22, and traveled ‘round TN, VA, MD, WV, NY, OH and PA before the holidays. During the early fall of ‘22, we were enjoying a state park in TN when there was a fascinating attack of stink bugs. Neighbors were swatting away at the wee critters as they swooped in to covered our RVs. Apparently the bugs were looking for a nice place to winter. I witnessed a few squeezing between our screen door and the door jam and several were in our window sills. They move sideways and squeeze themselves into every little crevice they can find. Sneaky little devils. A zombie bug attack. Several made in into our camper and I strongly requested that they leave immediately…which they did only after considerable coaxing. No stink bugs bothered us the rest of the camping season.

Presently, it’s Feb, ‘23, and we are traveling in Florida, where the temperatures are summer-like, and all month we have had stink bug visitations INSIDE our lovely Oliver. Dozens…yes dozens, have…emerged? One at a time over the month of Feb. Luckily, my wife can’t smell ‘em, but I have a schnoz that can detect a stink bug a mile away. Aha, say I, there’s a stink but about…and sure enough, one appears. I haven’t seen stink bugs outside, so they must be OUR stink bugs from last year!?! Where did they sequester themselves? We keep a mighty tight ship and clean vessel, so we know there are none in the cabin where we’ve cleaned. My guess is that they were hibernating in the crevices of the window shade cover…perhaps they entered through a small hole between the sliding and stationary windows last season and thought they had found the ideal winter haven.

I’m hoping that, as of this writing, we are done with stink bug visitations.

Has anyone else had a similar stink bug experience? Are there any Entomologists in the Oliver group that could shed some light on these fascinating stinky creatures?

p.s., we’ve certainly put our Oliver through it’s paces, and my conclusion is that this is one heck of a travel trailer!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Bill and Nancy]

We have a pet starling his name is Ditto  He loves to eat crickets and stink bugs. He lives in our store and when the stink bugs come in in the fall they don’t have a chance. The interesting thing is that when he catches one he rubs it all over his feathers before he eats it. It’s smell must do something maybe like insect repellent for mites. Maybe you need to get a pet starling.

[Paul and Santina]

Love little Ditto!

We’ll, we haven’t had any mites so…thank you stinky stink bugs!? 🤣🤣🤣

[AndrewK]

Paul and Santina,

We picked up a few dozen in Eugene, OR, on the second of October. 

I have continued to find one or two, every time I am in or around the trailer.  

A couple of days ago, I found one alive in the Hypervent, under one of the beds!

That is almost five months later!

They just keep coming! 

When will it stop?

Andrew

 

[topgun2]

OK - you asked for it!

Do you rent out Ditto?

Whatever you do - DON'T pick up one of these little creatures with your bare hand - they do really stink.

 

[Paul and Santina]

11 hours ago, AndrewK said:

That is almost five months later!

They just keep coming! 

When will it stop?

 

AndrewK: I’m sorry you too are sharing our stink bug experience…but glad to know we are not alone!

We were stink bug attacked Oct 13, 2022 in TN. We remember it well…our neighbor was chasing stinkbugs with a broom, getting them as soon as they landed on her rig. I got a real chuckle until I saw them crawling through a crack in our door 😱.

When they are inside, we try not to kill or catch ‘em because, as topgun2 alluded to, they will send a spray of stinky stink everywhere! So we gently catch them in a paper towel and escort them outside.

I think they will be a never ending parade of stink bugs, because we just escorted 2 outside yesterday! So, according to topgun2’s article, maybe one or more stinkbugs entered our TT, layer eggs and…yikes!

[AndrewK]

3 hours ago, Paul and Santina said:

I think they will be a never ending parade of stink bugs, because we just escorted 2 outside yesterday! So, according to topgun2’s article, maybe one or more stinkbugs entered our TT, layer eggs and…yikes!

GREAT!

The bug that keeps on giving!

[wdw0528]

You are not alone - we were attacked in October in western NC. Fought hard to prevent and/or evict them.

Jan/Feb 2023 we too went to Florida for our annual fair weather trek and, like you, we were seeing one or two daily for two months. I think they are now gone but wouldn’t bet much on that.

[Paul and Santina]

On 3/8/2023 at 4:55 PM, wdw0528 said:

I think they are now gone but wouldn’t bet much on that.

We too have recently had several days of stink bug silence. I kinda miss ‘em 🤣

[Patriot]

57 minutes ago, Paul and Santina said:

We too have recently had several days of stink bug silence. I kinda miss ‘em 🤣

Becareful what you wish for. 😅 

[John Dehne]

It’s the small price we pay for loving nature. We were attacked by lanterns flys in Berryville Virginia while attending a bluegrass festival in sept. Just got to deal with it. Mosquitos are the worst.

[Paul and Santina]

6 hours ago, John Dehne said:

It’s the small price we pay for loving nature. We were attacked by lanterns flys in Berryville Virginia while attending a bluegrass festival in sept. Just got to deal with it

Yes indeed. And speaking of nature, while at a FL state park, we saw large sandy mounds. Asked the person manning the office - she thought they were caused by ants. We looked closely - no ants. Also, no bees and no hole that we could see. Finally, a Park Ranger said they were pocket gopher mounds. That’s a new critter to me - wish I could have seen a one while in FL. Traveling in our Oliver certainly has been a blast. 

[SeaDawg]

Those look like ant hills to me, and I'd avoid them.  In the south, you may see the hill, but not the tiny red/fire ants, until you or your dog is bitten. May not even see a "hill", in Florida  . That mound, with no "hole" is definitely to be avoided. Those ant bites are really nasty.

Stink bugs don't bite, and spraying them with water or windex will slow them down/weigh them down so they are slow enough to scoop up gently without squishing,  and releasing the "stink." I didn't think they over-wintered in trailers. 

[Paul and Santina]

48 minutes ago, SeaDawg said:

spraying them with water or windex will slow them down/weigh them down so they are slow enough to scoop up

Great idea. Will try that if any remain!