How to kill stink bugs without them stinking

[@mayshomesteadchronicles]

Very useful information! Thanks for sharing. Stink bugs are such a pain

[@TheBzybees]

I’ve discovered a new treatment for stink bugs. In addition to the Dawn or early on without it - Spray your complete plant & leaves in evening or early morning with 1 teaspoon of peppermint essential oil per gallon of water. They don’t show up. Try it. It’s amazing. Just have to work on squash vine bore now. I spray every other day but once a week might work

[@smallblockfuelie]

Thank you. I’m going to pin this comment for others to see.

[@donyosxd]

@@smallblockfuelie BRUH

[@smallblockfuelie]

@@donyosxd love the name.

[@therealhawkeyeii7888]

I've known this secret for household bugs for decades. There's always a spray bottle of water and dish soap nearby. Kills them dead, like you say, by blocking off their oxygen. I tried it experimentally on my tomato plants, but spraying a single leafy branch with it, and the next day all the leave were dead, so I never tried it again, but you say you rinse it off the leaves and that saves them, so perhaps I'll try that.

[@theMermaidRhonda]

Thank you for this...I knew about the soapy water, but didn't know about the eggs.

[@smallblockfuelie]

Getting those eggs cuts down on how much soap you’ll need in the following weeks.

[@elliottpeabody1287]

Another way to make quick work of cleaning up the garden of stink bugs is to use a hand-held, battery-operated vacuum cleaner.

[@OrtoInScatola]

I use insecticidal soap on my plants for aphids in spring. It works great and it can be left on the plants because it doesn’t harm them. It’s the same thing as that big brick of white soap that they used to use to wash clothes in the past. In Europe is known as Marsille soap. I wonder if that would work for stink bugs as well

[@laurelkachnycz4090]

I used this method and also added white vinegar. I also added more than 2 tbsp of Dawn, just saying!!😜👍🏼

[@smallblockfuelie]

I’ve had days where I wanted to add the entire bottle.

[@jaikumarvenkatchari3838]

@smallblockfuelie Hi 👋, how do you go about catching these critters? Definitely going to do the soapy spray. Many thanks 😊 🙏

[@smallblockfuelie]

You don’t need to catch them. Spray them directly while they are in the garden. We caught them only to demonstrate

[@briangreenhalgh3830]

Do you think this would harm Assassin Bugs? I find them beneficial in my garden, and don’t want to affect them.

[@smallblockfuelie]

Only if you spray it on them directly and coat them with the soapy water.

[@sleeplessinthecarolinas8118]

That works quick! Thank you!

[@smallblockfuelie]

Very quick. Don’t forget to rinse the solution off your plants afterwards.

[@freddieivory625]

Awesome tip, thank you for sharing

[@smallblockfuelie]

You’re welcome.

[@tomnene]

Will this work on leaf footed stink bugs? Those have been attacking me when I am in my tomato garden trying to spray with neem oil.

[@smallblockfuelie]

Absolutely.

[@EXTREMERC416]

It doesnt harm the plants or the soil?

[@smallblockfuelie]

No, we are using very little soap. But you do want to rinse the soap off the plants.

[@ReneaV2024]

Thank you

[@TLMKingMoon]

I got so mad at the invasion of stink bugs tonight. I went and got a ortho attachment for my hose 3 types of sprays to change the dial on.. I mixed up neem oil and dawn. Sprayed my entire garden all of the plants with water and the mixture that was attached.. now wondering if I should go rinse things off in the morning so my plants won’t dry out.. I am pretty sure I knocked some bugs gone this evening with this mixture because you could see them dropping or flying away...

[@smallblockfuelie]

It has been my experience that it’s best to remove the Dawn after application. It’s only going to kill stink bugs when applied directly to them. Neem, when applied according to the instructions, is safe to leave on a leaf. Unfortunately I once mixed it heavier than instructed and it was hard on my cabbages. Have you spent time removing eggs? That’s another great way to reduce and control them in your garden.

[@inhibited44]

@@smallblockfuelie I asked recently about just soaking the plants in soap. You just answered my question about whether that was a bad thing for the plants.

[@lindawilson7137]

will the soap hurt my plants

[@smallblockfuelie]

If you use it in moderation and rinse the areas where it is applied it will not harm your plants.

[@mariselabowie7341]

Thank you very helpful

[@smallblockfuelie]

You're welcome!

[@inhibited44]

What happens if you just walk around and soak the plants with soap instead of hunting the bugs?

[@smallblockfuelie]

You can kill the leaves and the plant.

[@raythomas7746]

I drenched stink bug with a bottle with 50/50. Water & Dawn Dish soap & it did not kill the stink bug.

[@aussiepressconferences.4755]

You legend, thank you !!!!

[@inhibited44]

They do nearly as much damage as a woodchuck. I had sixteen hubbard squash plants that germinated. Planted them in various sections of the garden and they all died.

[@smallblockfuelie]

That sounds like it was so discouraging.

[@inhibited44]

@@smallblockfuelie Next year, I will wrap a few plants with aluminum foil and spray the stems of others with dawn detergent

[@mayshomesteadchronicles]

Subbed! Had to after such a useful video was shared!

[@smallblockfuelie]

Thanks for that.

[@munsters2]

I tried this on my screens and siding and it did not work at all. The only way it worked is when I used very hot water. It seems their shells are impervious and almost nothing can penetrate. Other things that did not work: flying insect killer, wasp killer, alcohol, acetone, vinegar, hydrogen peroxide, bleach, ammonia.

[@smallblockfuelie]

Then there was something incorrect. The soap doesn’t penetrate, it forms a layer over their shell and prevents air from passing. That suffocates them. What soap did you use and how much per gallon?

[@munsters2]

@@smallblockfuelie Don't remember for sure what soap; probably Dawn or Ajax dish soap. About 1-2 teaspoons in a 16-24 ounce spray bottle. After spraying them, some of them fell from the screens or siding onto the concrete slab. Even after I built up a large puddle of spray on them (on concrete) they still went on their merry way and walked away.

[@smallblockfuelie]

@@munsters2 we noticed that unless we could see little bubbles on the insects it was not effective. We used a pump up sprayer, perhaps it did I better job. I’ve never used a hand pump bottle.

[@munsters2]

@@smallblockfuelie OK, I'll have to try adding more soap and shake it up good. I'm wondering now since hot water seemed to work better, for a large job maybe using a steam cleaner would work well.

[@elliottpeabody1287]

@@smallblockfuelie Another way to make quick work of cleaning up the garden of stink bugs is to use a hand-held, battery-operated vacuum cleaner.

[@rickeydesi8237]

and it will kill the plants to I tried that

[@smallblockfuelie]

If you leave it on, yes. Rinse it off and you will be ok. We have done it this way for years.

[@marilynbowe650]

🥰

[@PlonkLMAO]

I drowned one and the water stunk anyone else?

[@smallblockfuelie]

Yes, it is their defense mechanism.

[@donyosxd]

no

[@smallblockfuelie]

Present company excluded, of course.

[@bmtr11111]

"juvinile" Bugs, anyone else find that funny? :P Is he a police officer?

[@smallblockfuelie]

It is kinda funny. Thanks for the comment.

[@brat46]

Are you sure those are stink bugs and not squash bugs?

[@smallblockfuelie]

Thanks for the comment. Regardless of what insect it is, this will work on any insect to which it is applied.