Stink Bug Season in the Poconos: How to Keep Them Out of Your Mountain Home
Every fall, brown marmorated stink bugs invade Pocono Mountain homes by the hundreds. Learn how to seal them out, when to call a professional, and why vacation homes are especially vulnerable.
Stink Bug Season in the Poconos
Every September and October, as the leaves begin to turn on the ridges above Brodheadsville and East Stroudsburg, a familiar pest makes its annual migration into Monroe County homes: the brown marmorated stink bug (*Halyomorpha halys*). For Pocono Mountain homeowners — especially those with vacation properties that may sit empty for weeks at a time — stink bug season can mean returning to a home overrun by hundreds of these shield-shaped invaders.
L&L Pest Control has been treating stink bug infestations across Monroe, Pike, Wayne, Carbon, Lehigh, and Northampton counties since 1986. Here's what you need to know.
Why Vacation Homes Are Hit Hardest
Stink bugs are drawn to warm, south-facing surfaces as temperatures drop. A vacation home that sits empty from Labor Day through Thanksgiving is a perfect unmonitored target. They enter through gaps around windows, door frames, utility penetrations, and chimney chases — and without human activity to disturb them, hundreds can aggregate in wall voids and attic spaces.
PA-Specific Biology
The BMSB arrived in Allentown, PA in 2001 — making Lehigh County its first documented North American location. Twenty-plus years later, it's established throughout all six counties L&L serves. Adults emerge in spring and feed on fruit and ornamental trees through summer, producing one to two generations. As days shorten in late August and September, they shift into overwintering mode and seek protected indoor sites.
Exclusion: The Only Real Solution
Chemical treatments suppress stink bugs temporarily but don't address entry points. True stink bug control requires sealing:
- Gaps around window frames and door sweeps
- Utility penetrations (pipes, wires, cables) through exterior walls
- Chimney caps and attic vents
- The junction between siding and foundation
When to Call L&L
If you're finding more than a few stink bugs indoors, or if you own a vacation property that sat unmonitored through fall, call L&L Pest Control at (570) 992-3487. We serve all of Monroe, Pike, Wayne, Carbon, Lehigh, and Northampton counties from our Brodheadsville location. Free inspections available.