Nevada has a lot of bugs hiding in the sands and soil. From scorpions to spiders, bedbugs to fleas, Preventive Pest Control pays close attention to all the creepy crawlies that bug businesses and homes in our state.
But the bug problem just got worse. There’s a new bug in town called Chlorochroa Sayi. How will you know if you’ve found one? Take a big whiff. If you smell an offensive stink, you’ve discovered Chlorochroa, more commonly and appropriately called the Say’s stink bug.
Ooooh That Smell
The State of Nevada Department of Agriculture has a whole page on the Say’s stink bug. Stink bugs are a whole genus of bugs that get their name from a set of glands that release a foul-smelling liquid. When a stink bug is threatened is acts kind of like a skunk, spraying the liquid to deter enemies.
On the flip side, the smelly substance actually is attractant to mates. (Evidently, stink bugs think they smell just fine.) According to stinkbugs.org, there are more than 200 different species of these annoyingly smelly bugs.
While the western states have a number of different types of stink bugs that plague homeowners in the fall, western Nevada has been invaded by one particular type of stink bug – the Say’s. As stink bugs go, they’re kind of pretty, with an ornate green and yellow carapace. But the residents of Carson City, Douglas County, Smith Valley, Reno and Pershing County have all been complaining of an invasion of the green smelly mini-monsters.
Like most of the other stink bugs on the planet, the Say’s eats mostly plants. The Say’s stink bug likes to hang out on a weed called the tumble mustard that springs up on plots of lands where the soil is disturbed. As those areas dry up, the stink bugs make their way to the greener pastures of manicured lawns and on shrubs in residential areas. As the temperatures cool, the bugs attempt to squeeze inside a home – and they have a way of showing up in the oddest places. They are prolific creatures, so if you smell (or see) one stink bug; chances are there will be more to follow.
Stink Bug Prevention in Las Vegas
The first step toward stink bug eradication is to hire a trained professional to spot the nooks and crannies that will allow them to enter a home. An experienced eye can spot the cracks in stucco that will allow the bugs to enter or cracks in the caulk around windows that will serve as an open door to stink bugs or any other pest seeking refuge from the cool desert evenings.
If you’re struggling to keep the pests where they belong – outside – contact Preventive Pest. We’re here to help!
