Happy Stink Bug Season

 

The colorful season of fall is upon us. Leaf peepers are swarming to New England to take in the picturesque landscape. and other 'things' are swarming in, too. They are brown, they are flying, and they stink.

Have you been bugged lately? What are they? Where did they come from?

Halyomorpha halys, aka, the brown Marmorated Stink Bug came to the United States from Asia. Experts from CT.gov say that the bug, known as the Stink Bug because it emits a nasty odor from glands in its throax when squashed or disturbed, was first identified in Allentown, Pennsylvania in 1998.

It is less than 3/4 of an inch long and is a threat to our local agriculture because it enjoys feeding on fruit, legume and vegetable crops, not to mention, the Stink Bug is also just a pest (no pun here) because it tends to make its way indoors (and bring many stinky friends along) during the season of fall to 'wait out' the cold of winter.

These bugs  will enter under siding, into soffits, around window and door frames, chimneys, or any space which has openings big enough to fit through during the last weeks of summer to survive the winter.. Once inside the house, they will go into a state of hibernation. They wait for winter to pass, but often the warmth inside the house causes them to become active, and they may fly clumsily around. Adults can live from several months to a year. The stink bug's ability to emit an odor through holes in its abdomen is a defense mechanism meant to prevent it from being eaten by predators, however, simply handling the bug, injuring it, or attempting to move it can trigger it to release the odor. 

Because these bugs come into the house through cracks and crevices, mainly near window and door frames, the only way to prevent them getting in is to seal up any openings before the end of summer. At this point, it would be too late for homeowner's to prevent stink bugs coming inside. The only thing you can do is grab a vacuum or a tissue (don't squish or they will emit their stench) and say goodbye one little stinker at a time. In the meantime, The Connecticut Department of Agriculture is working on ways to keep stink bugs at bay.

Things to Know About Stink Bugs

• Stink bugs do not do any structural damage to homes and they do not sting or bite.
• Stink bugs release foul smelling chemicals to avoid predators. They also give off other chemicals to attract other stink bugs.
• When a BMSB finds a suitable winter shelter, it secrets a chemical odor that attracts other stink bugs.
• Killing a stink bug does not attract more stink bugs.
• To keep your home from becoming attractive to stink bugs, seal up windows and foundations to prevent their entry and quickly removing any stink bugs that find their way in by hand or with a vacuum.
• Using pesticides inside the home to control stink bugs is often ineffective.
• Some pesticides have been effective when used as outdoor perimeter treatments for homes when applied at the correct time of year.