Thanks for Four Years of Awesome
So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish
Blogged Around Philly: Farewell Edition
Photoist
Today is the autumnal equinox, the the day that forces those of us who were still grasping at the last bits of post-Labor Day summer to finally to let it go. It's fall now. Even if it is 90 degrees out, we're legally required to consider how nice our shorts and flip-flops would look with a snappy cardigan. Thoughts turn to cooler-weather concerns: stacking the patio furniture, pondering whether the Topsy-Turvy Tomato planter will survive the winter, figuring out how to walk the fine line between layering and wearing too many shirts, and, of course, trying to avoid thoughts about how many stinkbugs are planning on using our homes as winter hibernation chalets.
Like us, as the weather turns colder, stink bugs start looking for places to settle down for the winter. And the general "not in my house, that's where I live" sentiment isn't solely a Phillyist concern. Stink bugs are getting a lot of press these days. Philly.com ran their first "they're coming!" story at the end of August, and just this week 6abc.com ran a similar story and a guide to safeguarding your home and fighting the intruders.
Despite the best efforts to keep them out, it seems that unless your home is hermetically sealed, stink bugs find their way in. For clunky-looking, slow-moving bugs, they're like beetle ninjas. Even with the best screens and the tightest weather sealing, hosting a stink bug is a fact of life for many of us.
So the big problem with stink bugs is this: how do we get rid of them? Sure, you could just live with your stink bugs, thinking of them as pets and naming them things like "Stinky" and "Howard," but most of us would prefer they leave. And they can't be smushed. Actually, smushing is possible, but not recommended. Do not smush the stink bug. You will regret it. If you need to learn things the hard way, go ahead. But you should take our word for it. We already learned the hard way.
For those of us who choose the more peaceful and gag-free route, it seems that stink bug disposal is a matter of individual preference. Some capture and flush, others capture and release, but most people only smush once. Just make sure you shake them free, because those suckers hang on. It's all about style. And a bug-free home.
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