It’s a dark and stormy night. You are creeping along your house’s never ending hallway towards the kitchen for a refreshing glass of water. Cautiously, you tiptoe into the kitchen, grab a glass, and reach for the faucet when you suddenly see it! A strange, brown looking, thing on the shiny chrome. You look up and see more of them along window sill above the sink and in the cabinets below your sink when you realize to your horror that they appear to be EVERYWHERE!!
What are they? What are they doing in your house? You sure don’t remember seeing them growing up and now they seem to be everywhere inside and outside! You can’t seem to escape them! As these questions flit through your terror addled mind, you barely notice the thunder and lightning booming outside! (Sorry, but this is the Halloween edition and we had to create atmosphere!). So, what insect are we talking about? Halyomorpha Halys, or, more commonly known as The Stink Bug. If there was to be a Halloween contest for the worst costume, the stink bug would win. Like so many who have approached us, we will try to answer your questions as thoroughly as possible!
Where Did They Come From?
The brown marmorated stink bug is native to China, Japan, the Korean peninsula, and Taiwan. It was accidently introduced to the United
States in 1998. So, no, you don’t remember growing up with these little bugs as they didn’t invade until the late 1990s. Similar to a horror movie, the stink bug has now established itself in most of North America and is recently been seen invading Europe and South America.
What’s in a Name?
The name, the brown marmorated stink bug comes from the term marmorated, which means, “marbled” due to their marbled appearance. The main characteristic of the stink bug is their signature shield on their backs. Their legs are typically brown and have white banding on them. The stink glands are located on the underside of the thorax. However, it should be noted that there are also green stink bugs that are all green in color.
Behaviors
Do not fear, stink bugs are not seeking blood to drink (please see our mosquito blog on that!), but rather, choose to feed on fruits
and vegetation, but mostly fruits. It should also be noted that stink bugs cannot, that’s right, cannot sting and very rarely bite humans. Their
reproducing cycle typically lasts from spring to late fall. In the winter, stink bugs will creep into any and all cracks and crevices in your home usually in walls, attics, and/or crawl spaces. Depending on their habitat, stink bugs can mate and create up to 3 generations per year with females typically laying 20-30 eggs from May to August. They typically get into homes during the fall by entering under siding, into soffits, around windows and door frames, chimneys, or any space or openings large enough for them to fit into. Do not fear, they are a nuisance but do not cause structural damage nor do they spread disease!
Once They Have Invaded Your Home!
What to do when they have invaded your house? Try to patch or calk any holes or cracks or crevices that stink bugs can get into. Try to keep lights off or low as they are attracted to the light. If they are in your home, you can vacuum them, but make sure to remove and throw the bag away outside immediately as the bag will begin to smell. However, if you have an infestation in your home, the best and most effective option would be to call the professions. We can come in, inspect, and provide with the best options and plans to eradicate the invading horde of stink bugs. Another idea would be to PREVENT the stink bugs from ever coming into your home by calling a pest management profession in August to spray as a prevention and skip the infestation all together.
Works Referenced:
“Stink Bug Control
Info: How to Get Rid of Stink Bugs.” Pest
Word.org, National Pest Management Association, https://www.pestworld.org/pest-guide/occasional-invaders/stink-bugs/.
Skvarla, Michael, J.
“Brown Marmorated Stink Bug”. PennState
Extension, The Pennsylvania State University, 2 March 2017, https://extension.psu.edu/brown-marmorated-stink-bug.
