Homemade Traps Kill 14 times More Stink Bugs than Commercial Ones, Study Finds

A Virginia tech team has found that a simple, homemade stink bug trap is more effective in killing the pests than pricy traps found in stores.

According to researchers, homeowners can create a trap using a foil roasting pan, water, soap and a light. People must fill the pan with water and add dish-soap, then leave the pan in a darkened room with a single light hanging over the pan.

The brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys is an invasive pest in the U.S and feeds on high-value crops and ornamental plants. The species is native to Asia and was introduced in the U.S. in the mid-1990s

The cheap solution to the pest problem isn't new. However, this is the first time that researchers have conducted an experiment to compare the efficiency of the traps.

The study included 16 homeowners, who set the stink bug traps and monitored the number of pests killed. The experiment ran for two years.

"Currently there are no in-home insecticides labeled for use against brown marmorated stink bugs, so that presented us with a challenge," John Aigner, a doctoral student in the Department of Entomology and an author of the study, said in a news release.

The team found that the homemade trap killed 14 times more stink bugs than store-bought ones that cost around $50.

What's more, the trap is pesticide-free, meaning that homeowners aren't exposed to harmful chemicals.

However, the solution can be used only in homes or closed spaces. Stink bug is found in 41 states in the U.S. and damages crops worth millions of dollars.

"The real devastation comes in the form of damage to farmers," said Tom Kuhar, an entomology professor and Virginia Cooperative Extension specialist. "Stink bugs feed as nymphs and adults on the fruit and pods of plants, which maximizes their chances to render a crop unmarketable. These bugs have been documented to feed on many of our important agricultural crops including apples, peaches, grapes, soybean, peppers, tomatoes, corn and cotton."

The study is published in the Journal of Extension.

Check a video of the study, here.