Brown marmorated stink bugs. They are a common occurrence all over the USA, especially in the Fall months when it begins to get colder and they seek refuge inside all of our nice, warm, cozy homes. If you’ve never seen one, they are small, brown, and shaped like a shield.
The mid-Atlantic states are the worst, the place where they are found in droves, and are slowly sneaking their way inside to hide in our attics, basements, and dark little corners.
While they don’t pose a health risk or a risk of damaging your home, stink bugs are a real inconvenience similar to bed bugs, and you might want to get rid of them as soon as possible! Why are they called stink bugs? Well, try to kill them and you will soon find out! When a stink bug is scared, angry, irritated, or squashed, they emit a horrible odor that can only be described as something similar to sweaty feet! Yuck! Even if you aren’t killing them, stink bugs can “attack” even when you are only trying to move them! Talk about complicated to get rid of!
To control stink bugs from getting into your home, the most important step is good prevention in the first place. You can only do this by sealing up cracks, crevices, holes and openings that they might come in through. Of course, you are probably already doing this if you are getting your home ready for Winter, but it doesn’t hurt to take a closer look and see if there are any holes you can patch up where they might get in especially in the attic. They are also attracted to light, so keeping your lights off after dark might also help to deter some of them.
If they have already found their way into your home, it might be harder to get rid of them. You can vacuum them, but be advised that this can cause for a stinky vacuum cleaner. Most people swear by the soapy water method, since it is cheap, easy, and does not involve harmful chemicals. You just fill some jars about half full with soapy dish liquid and water, and then use a paper towel or piece of cardboard to drop them down in there. They will quickly drown in the water without emitting their stink! If this still doesn’t help, there are several chemical sprays and powders 
on the market that can help you get a handle on your stinky problem!
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I had always tried the vacuum method but, as you said, it gets pretty stinky and it just spreads the smell throughout the house. I’d never heard about the soapy jars. I’ll definitely try that. Stink bugs aren’t that bad for me until they start crawling around the kitchen! I don’t want them in my food! Hopefully the soapy jars work, otherwise I’ll have to try out some of those sprays. Thanks so much!