I've had tons of them too...Early in the season we had a major hatch here and I tell you they were thick in the air...in my garden...not anywhere else...just my garden area.

Peggy,

That's bad new!! Last year, I let my squash plants go because of them. I couldn't keep up with killing them.

Fortunately, I don't have any in the house, but I'm guessing as my garden starts to ramp up, I'll be dealing with them again. At least based on your post.

We had a few indoors but most of them overwinter between the boards on our screen porch or house siding. I believe that the adults (some big hummers too) hibernate then come out now to repopulate. It's mainly those imported Lady Bugs that get into the house.

I hate them to they put holes in my tomatoes and I hate those footed ones too.
Angie

I keep thinking that as long as they're in the house they can't get to my garden or make more stink bugs. I went to bed the other night and there were 4 on my bedroom ceiling. My house is brick so there's no siding to hide under. But they definitely hibernated somewhere!

I usually get the asian lady beetles too but not this year.

They like my satsuma too, from what I hear out side of direct contact there isn't must can be done except to hand pick what we can, such fun.

So far beyond that big hatch, I haven't seen but a few and I am always handy with some soap if I do see them...I suspect they will come again soon because last year they were horrible in my garden. I'm prepared this year though...

We had zillions of them this winter (and by winter, I mean that we still have lots of them), and they do stink, when you (and by you, I mean the five-year-old) pick them up to put them outside. I prefer the Asian lady bugs. I don't think that the number of stink bugs in the house correlates with the number of stink bugs in the garden, though. At least I hope not!

There is new practical technology developed that is both farm/home scale and philosophy neutral. You can plant plots or containers.

See it at the website: ufinsect.ifas.ufl.edu

Here is a link that might be useful: UF/IFAS Quincy

That is a good link, Russmizell... the use of trap crops is discussed at length. In particular, I found the timing of the trap crop interesting; to be effective, it must reach the proper stage at the same time as the crop it is meant to protect. I don't have the problem with stink bugs that some do, but there were more than normal this year... so I may need to re-examine this issue in the future. I've bookmarked your link.

There are few blessings in living where it can get to 40 below in the winter but there is a blessing...we have NO problems with beetles, hornworms or many of the other bugs it seems that those of you who live in milder climates have. We did have a HUGE problem with grasshoppers this year (not in my part of the county but others had their entire gardens razed.) I also have aphids EVERY SINGLE YEAR on my bush honeysuckle which I am going to spray with dormant oil this winter. They just devistate the new growth
but the oddest thing is that they don't seem to care for the climbing honeysuckle? I guess no matter where you live it's always something. Heck, if it was too easy, everyone would have a garden and not mind the work!

Russmizel I want to give you many thanks for posting that link. It was very interesting as well as useful to me! now bookmarked...

I had posted a thread (in the California gardening, not here) asking how to control murgantia histrionica, which some folks call Harlequin bugs (or beetles). I also searched old threads, but there was not much other than hand picking and well, not much else. Neem oil does not work and I am not willing to use pesticides. They sucked the life out of my brassicas (cole crops) which are perennials here, and I had to uproot them (with tears in my eyes, my beloved lacinato kale...). They proceeded to jump on my jalapenos (yes folks, pepper spray does not work with them, they like hot peppers!), they ruined now about 3-4 tomato plants but fortunately found the sunflowers I grow for this purpose. They are squatting on one of the largest sunflowers and this makes it easy to pick them too. Fortunately they are leaving the other peppers alone (I still have a lot of flowers and growing little peppers on my pepper plants)

I never asked about the other @#$%$$# bugs, the green stink one (Nezara viridula), because they made the scene a little later....in the front garden beds.... and of course, they found their way to my okra pods. After reading the articles I see that okra is very attractive to them. I learned that they can be distracted or trapped by 'sacrificial' crops and I just planted sunflowers there, since I hope to use that bed (far away from the other brassica bed) to grow brassicas again in a couple of months. Learning what other crops can be used sacrificially is also very interesting, as well as all the important timing information.

On a happier note, I found something really good last night in the okra beds. I have been coming home, and putting in the latex gloves, and doing a bit of very unpleasant (hence the latex gloves) hand extermination. I do not like killing anything, and I don't like touching bugs with my bare hands. Every day there were fewer to pick (of both the Harlequins and the green stink bugs). Last night I searched the okra very carefully and found none! I usually find at least 2-3....I kept looking and there was this green branches on one of the okra flowers, I look closely and it is a large green insect with long spindly legs and an alien like head. I googled it and found out it was a praying mantid! it ate the green bugs! I wonder if it would also eat the Harlequins? so things are better now.....and thanks again for the link.

Ooh, I LOVE finding praying mantises in my garden, they are the best! Stinkbugs, on the other hand... not. We've had a few hanging around the patio door. Yesterday there was a praying mantis on the screen. No stinkbugs to be seen. Yay! :^)