Do Stink Bugs Go in Your Bed? 3 Signs Everyone Should Know

Stink bugs wouldn’t willingly choose to go in your bed, but that might happen if the insect accidentally enters your bedroom.

The 3 main signs that you should be aware of are odor, damaged plants and fruits, and actual congregations of bugs.

• Stink bugs are agricultural pests that prefer to live in gardens, farms, orchards, and so on.
• The insects can get inside houses, especially during fall, when they are getting ready for diapause and are seeking shelter.
• If you have a stink bug infestation, a few insects might accidentally end up in your bed.
• The things that attract the creatures also include lights and natural siding.

Where Do Stink Bugs Live?

Stink bugs are agricultural pests that mainly live outdoors in farms, gardens, or orchards. However, these insects can also be found in residential landscapes and parks.

They like to feed on the leaves and stems of plants, grass, weed, and fruits.

When this insect pierces the skin of the plant, it injects a tiny amount of toxic saliva into its food. The saliva kills the cells of the plant around the area that has been pierced.

Unfortunately, stink bugs are relatively common across the United States. The most widespread species is the brown marmorated stink bug.

But if stink bugs prefer the great outdoors, why are there American households that suffer from infestations?

The truth is that stink bugs do not stay outside all year round. As the temperatures begin to drop, the creatures start looking for a warm shelter, where they would be able to hide during winter.

Once the insects find a safe space, they get to fully enjoy their diapause.

In the wild, stink bugs prefer to hide under stones, bark, and weeds. However, in cities and the suburbs, these creatures can gather on the sides of a house. If the insects find cracks or crevices – they will invade the building.

Can Stink Bugs Go in Your Bed?

Even if the bugs manage to get inside the house, the chances are high that they will congregate inside your walls or on the sides of the building.

But, unfortunately, sometimes these insects can make their way inside your house. As soon as it becomes a bit warmer, the stink bugs will start looking for ways to get outside, and they might accidentally make it into your living room or even bedroom.

By the way, the insects might be tricked into thinking that spring is just around the corner. This will happen, if you decide to warm up the house, for example.

So, can stink bugs go in your bed?

The insects certainly don’t want to appear anywhere near your bed, but that might happen, especially, if there is a stink bug infestation.

Unlike bed bugs, stink bugs do not feed on human blood, so there is no reason for them to be in your bed. But they might end up there by accident.

You might also end up with stink bugs in your mattress if you were moving and the bed was stored next to a nesting site. The bugs could have simply gotten stuck inside.

3 Signs That You Have a Stink Bug Infestation

In theory, stink bugs can go in your bed and fly around your house. But what are the main signs that you have to look out for?

• Odor

These creatures have gotten their name for a reason. The insects release a terrible smell whenever they are disturbed or threatened.

The odor is extremely strong and might remind you of dirty socks and rotting fruit.

If you really do have stink bugs in your bed, the chances are that, at one point, you are going to disturb or squish the creature. And then you would hear a smell that can’t be mistaken for anything else.

• Damaged plants and fruit trees

Stink bugs feed on leaves, stems, flowers, crops, and fruits. If the size of the population goes out of control, the damage caused by the insects can be disastrous.

As the saliva of the creatures is toxic, it causes the cells around the bite to die. That certainly does affect not only the appearance of the plants and fruits but also their viability.

In case you spot a ‘scar’ on a fruit, it means that the stink bug had pierced the fruit while it was still developing.

• Congregations of bugs

The most obvious sign of a stink bug infestation is the actual presence of these insects. The creatures like to gather in big groups, so if you have spotted one bug, it is most likely that there are a lot more somewhere close.

You might notice large congregations on the sides of houses, in the attic, crawl space, or inside the walls.

Thankfully, a stink bug in your bed doesn’t mean that there is a whole colony inside your mattress – the creatures would certainly prefer another place.

The insects have large, oval-shaped bodies that have a unique pattern on their back. The actual back looks like a shield, so it’s relatively easy to differentiate these creatures from other bugs.

Why Are Stink Bugs Attracted to Your House?

Why are the insects attracted to your house and, ultimately, your bedroom in the first place? There are a few reasons that explain the phenomenon.

• They are looking for shelter.

Right before the stink bugs are ready to enter the inactive period of their life, they start looking for shelter where they can safely rest until it gets warm again.

If you live in a warm place, the chances are high that the bugs won’t diapause. And that’s great, as they wouldn’t need to search for shelter.

All the other areas might be at risk as the insects can live for months inside walls, in the attic, and other quiet places in the house.

• There are lots of lights in your house.

Fun fact, stink bugs are actually attracted to bright lights. So, if your house has exterior lights, the creature might make its way to your home.

Tip: if you can, do turn off all exterior lights and pull the blinds as night falls (especially in your bedroom). This will help make sure that the bugs stay away.

• There is a scent trail.

As soon as at least one stink bug finds a great spot to shelter, it will release a pheromone that attracts other bugs. As a result, you might find a whole group of insects around or inside your house.

By the way, this particular scent cannot be detected by humans.

• There are plenty of loose entry points.

The only way stink bugs can get in your house is through cracks, holes, and open doors and windows. If your walls have plenty of crevices, the insects might end up getting in. The same applies to a lot of other creatures, so getting rid of any entry points is always a great idea.

• Your house is made out of natural materials.

In nature, stink bugs prefer to go into diapause under the bark of a tree or stones, for example. That’s why they are naturally drawn to such materials.

If your house is dark and has natural siding, the insects might mistake it for an outdoor setting that they are used to.

• You live in a green area.

There might not be a lot of stink bugs in concrete jungles, but if you live in a rural or green area, then you might have a problem with these guys.

The insects are herbivores, so they like to hang out in gardens, orchards, trees, shrubs, and agricultural fields.

Thankfully, there is good news as well. Because stink bugs start searching for shelter right before going into diapause, it also means that they won’t be reproducing during this period as they are inactive.

So, if you ever encounter a stink bug infestation in winter, you can get rid of all the adults without the fear of finding a bunch of eggs hidden somewhere in the house. In fact, the insects prefer to lay eggs on the back of leaves.

To Sum Up

Do stink bugs go in your bed?

In a nutshell, they would certainly prefer not to, as there are safer places where the insects can spend the winter. However, a few bugs might accidentally get into your bedroom, if there is already an infestation in the walls of your house, for example.

When it comes to stink bugs, the 3 signs that everyone should know about include:

• Odor

The insects have a very unpleasant smell that you would certainly notice.

• Damaged plants and fruit trees

Stink bugs are herbivores that pierce the skin of various plants and feed on them. Their saliva is toxic, and that’s exactly why it would be easy for you to spot the fruits or plants that have been attacked.

• Actual bugs

These creatures are large and have easily identifiable backs.

If you have noticed any of the signs mentioned above, then you should definitely take action before a few stink bugs end up in your bed.

Alright, that’s it for this article, here are a few hand-selected articles that you might also find interesting reads:

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