"OutdoorBarren is supported by its readers. Please assume all links are affiliate links. If you purchase something from one of our links we make a small commission from Amazon."

Do Stink Bugs Live in Firewood?

do stink bugs live in firewood

Everyone’s seen them, and everyone dislikes them. Stinkbugs not only create an annoying buzz and seem to be all over the place in your house every winter, but you can’t even squash them for fear of them making your home smell absolutely awful!

Do stink bugs like to live in firewood? Yes! Stink bugs like to live in firewood because its a great place to keep them warm and safe.

Stink bugs are extremely annoying and every home would be better off without them. The question is, where are they coming from? Where do they make it their home inside your home? In this article we go over some of the most common places stinkbugs live, as well as a few ways to handle them.

Where Do Stinkbugs Like to Live?

There are a few places in and around your home that stinkbugs love to take shelter in, especially in the winter. The reason they like to do this is that they engage in a process called diapause. Diapause is when stinkbugs and other pests become inactive, usually in the winter. You can think of it sort of like bug hibernation. 

Stinkbugs need a warm place to spend the winter in diapause, so they will find nooks and crannies to snuggle themselves into, and then release pheromones that attract all their stinkbug pals. This is why you see so many of the pesky little guys. 

So obviously, the only way to get rid of them is to find where they are all hiding. 

Firewood

Yes, stinkbugs love to live in firewood. It is one of their favorite places to collect, whether it is indoors, where stinkbugs prefer to be (as it is warmer and safer), or outdoors if they can’t manage to get inside. 

Consider storing your firewood outside, off of the ground, and covered at the top as this is the best way to keep your firewood safe from moisture and bugs.

The easiest way to store your firewood is with a firewood log rack like this one by Woodhaven. Its structural integrity is very sound, and will keep your firewood off of the ground. It also comes with its own cover that will cover the top 12″ of your firewood.

Attics

Stinkbugs also love to live in attics. Since they are so rarely entered by humans and have so many tiny crevices and corners for stinkbugs to gather up in, they are the perfect place for a stinkbug to call home. 

If you have stinkbugs in your attic, it is likely that they will be flying around in your house. This is because they are fooled into thinking it is spring by the warmer conditions of your home compared to outside. If you have even a small infestation, you will begin seeing the unwelcome pests everywhere in your home if it is properly and comfortably heated. 

Stinkbugs appearing could also be the result of a stretch of warmer winter weather. In this case, they could be coming from anywhere, not just inside your home. 

Basements

Much like attics, basements, especially unfinished ones, are great homes for stinkbugs to collect and get through the winter. In basements, stinkbugs can be safe and unbothered, and remain safe from both predators and the cold. This makes your basement the perfect place for a big group of stinkbugs to spend the winter. 

Since heat rises, basements are often cooler than the rest of the house unless they are finished and heated. That said, stinkbugs collecting in your basement are less likely to come out, save a warm snap. Still, if you’re seeing stinkbugs where they don’t belong, you may want to check your basement. 

Fireplace

Although it might seem ridiculous, stinkbugs can also live in your fireplace. Now, you’re probably thinking, “wouldn’t they just burn up.” You could be right. After all, no one ever said stinkbugs are the smartest creatures around. 

A fireplace, much like attics, basements, and even firewood, is a warm dark place with nooks and crannies for stinkbugs to gather up in. Until there is actually fire in it, it’s the perfect place for stinkbugs to undergo diapause and stay the winter (until they are tricked into bugging you when it gets warm). 

It may seem strange to think that stinkbugs could be in your fireplace. After all, how did they get in there in the first place? Chances are, as mentioned above, they had originated in your firewood and then released pheromones to attract other stinkbugs. 

They could also enter through your chimney after being attracted by the heat coming out of it. In this case, they could be littered up and down your chimney as well as in the actual fireplace itself. 

Still, the idea of stinkbugs in the fireplace does raise some questions, whether it’s just a few loose ones from the firewood or a whole bunch. Read on to have your problems solved or your curiosity satiated. 

Does Heat Kill Stink Bugs?

Depending on how much heat we’re talking about, yes heat does kill stinkbugs. It can’t be a mild amount of heat, but just like almost any other living creature on the planet, the heat of a fire in your fireplace would most certainly kill any stinkbug that was unfortunate enough to be caught inside. 

At What Temperature Do Stink Bugs Die?

Stinkbugs actually die at a lower temperature than you may think. According to a study by the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources, stinkbugs start dying in large numbers at around 104 degrees Fahrenheit, and at 113 degrees Fahrenheit, none of the stinkbugs survived. 

Now, this is only a tiny fraction of the blazing temperatures a normal fire in your fireplace would burn at. You can be sure that a fire would be able to kill them. 

How to Get Rid of Stinkbugs in a Fireplace

There is a fairly simple solution to getting rid of stinkbugs in a fireplace. It may seem counterintuitive, as you don’t want to smell the bugs, but starting a fire will get rid of the bugs pretty quickly.

They will not be able to stand the heat, and most will simply fly away. Seal the front of your fireplace so that the only way out is up and out of your chimney. This will also help with any smell that might occur, although it is not as bad as you might assume. 

After this, you will want to put some preventative measures in place. Putting wire mesh where your chimney has an opening can keep out stinkbugs, but you need to be careful about getting mesh that is fine enough to exclude bugs but will not block the fumes from releasing into the air. 

As a side note, do not use pesticides in your fireplace. They will remain there until you next start a fire. This will create toxic fumes that you do not want to inhale. 

Final Thoughts

Nothing’s worse than a swarm of stinkbugs. No matter what you do, if you live in the suburbs or in a rural area, they’ll probably always be there. However, there are certain ways you can find them and lessen their numbers before they really take over. 

So whether they’re in your firewood, attic, basement, fireplace, or anywhere else in your home, the easiest way to control them is to find them and get rid of them as soon as possible. If they’re in your fireplace, the solution presents itself, but if they are swarming other areas of the house, perhaps calling an exterminator would be best. 

So get to it! However you decide to deal with them, it’s best to get on it quickly. That way, they won’t be bugging you anymore!  

Outdoor Barren

All of us at Outdoor Barren love the outdoors. We all specialize in different areas to give you the best possible information on each topic. Land, sea, or air, we've got it handled.

Recent Posts