Kudzu bugs are a fairly new pest in South Carolina. They were first found in Georgia in 2009, and have since spread into other southern states including South Carolina. These pests are often mistaken for beetles but they are more closely related to stink bugs. Kudzu bugs are about the size of an adult lady bug and are square shaped. They are typically greenish brown in color.
The Kudzu bug is a seasonal pest and is typically found in the fall and winter months looking for a place to stay out of the cold. Kudzu bugs will seek shelter in fallen leaves from trees, tree cracks, under tree bark, and other similar areas. In the spring time they become active again and move from their winter home to seek out suitable plants for feeding and reproduction. Kudzu bugs feed on Kudzu, wisteria, soy beans, and other bean type plants.
When Kudzu bugs are looking for a place to overwinter, they sometimes find our homes suitable for their winter stay. One way to help prevent this from happening is to cut back their favorite hide outs before the temperature drops too much (ex. Cutting back Kudzu and wisteria before fall). Unfortunately, this may not stop them from finding their way into your home. They are very good fliers, and may make their way to your home from a location off of the property. In addition to cutting back their food and shelter in hopes of prevention, another way to prevent Kudzu bugs is to make sure your home is properly sealed up, which will help prevent them from getting inside. Some ways to seal your home include filling cracks and crevices, using screens in windows, and putting weather stripping on doors.
If Kudzu bugs do find a way into your home for their winter stay, there are a few things you can do to get rid of them. We do not recommend squishing the bugs. This method of elimination may leave a stain and/or odor in the spot where they were squished so it is best to avoid it. If there are large numbers of Kudzu bugs found indoors, they should be vacuumed, and afterwards the bag or canister should be disposed of or emptied outside of the home. If you have access to a shop vacuum, it is the better option as sometimes their smell can linger in a regular household vacuum. Also, add some soapy water to the shop vacuum in order to kill the bugs, and then discard the soapy water and bugs outside of the home to prevent a re-infestation.
If vacuuming up the Kudzu bugs does not do the job, then there are other options available. Most pest sprays available can eliminate the pests. When using these sprays, it is best to treat a small area in the morning when it is still cool before the Kudzu bugs become active. Once the Kudzu bugs have died they should be removed as soon as possible as they can produce a foul odor as well as attract other pests such as ants.
If all else fails, or the infestation is too large, contact your local pest control experts to help you eliminate the pests. Remember, Kudzu bugs are seasonal and come spring, they will be on their way to find new vegetation to live off and reproduce.
Blog by Customer Service Representative, Kelsy Judy
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