View Full Version : Stinkbugs are invading!!!
C Seeker
11-06-2010, 21:46
I have recently visted Jim and Molley Shelter in Va, and there was stickbugs everywhere. I then opened the log book but to find 50-100 on one page :eek: I then here Manasses gap shelter is also having a problem :mad: Just a warning that they are invading and shelters are not very pleasenant anymore and all you can do is drowned them in water and soap.:(
GracefulRoll
11-06-2010, 22:41
This has been a big problem for the past few years in VA. This year alone I think I found 200 on the back wall of my house. :/ Heard reports about them in shelters this year on the trail, too.
So gross. Not only do they stink, but I swear they bite.
Are you guys talking about the big black beetle or the other one? I see the former a lot, but haven't noticed the smell although I've prodded quite a few to get them to spray.
GracefulRoll
11-06-2010, 23:45
The ones here in VA are mostly brown marmorated stink bugs.
They must be moving south for the winter. Shelters in Pa. had a fair amount when I hiked there 2 weeks ago.
GracefulRoll
11-07-2010, 00:12
Yeah, they have been growing in numbers here for years, but this year was particularly bad.
I remember when I was living in New England I would get calls from family here in VA about stink bugs in, on, and around the house, in the garage, on cars, in cars, plants, etc.
This year? Horrid! They attack!
Pedaling Fool
11-07-2010, 08:02
I read on a lot of gardening websites and they're always talking about how destructive stinkbugs are, especially on sunflowers. I have yet to see the destruction, although they really do love the sunflowers, I see them on no other plant when I have sunflowers, especially in bloom, but I can’t see any negative effects.
Beetles are my major problem in the garden, especially on the sunflowers; they will burrow into them and destroy large swaths of seeds.
Never been bitten by a stinkbug, despite handling them quit a bit (out of curiosity). I’ve never smelled a stinkbug, as I understand the stink-issue, it’s only an issue when they are crushed. But even then I wonder how pervasive the smell is, seems like being outdoors would carry away much of the stench.
They probably are capable of biting, but like I said, never been bitten by one, despite handling them. However, I’ve been bitten by lady bugs – that’s strange, I’ve never heard of any one being bit by a lady bug, but I have, but I don’t kill them since they’re suppose to be good to the garden.
They are good in tacos. Not kidding!
They are a big problem here in Berks county just south of Hamburg. I work in Allentown and have not noticed them. That would be interesting if they bite.
Pedaling Fool
11-07-2010, 08:50
I just read an interesting article about them. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/27/us/27stinkbug.html
SABILLASVILLE, Md. — When they retreated from the Battle of Gettysburg, Confederate troops passed by the area that is now Richard Masser’s orchards. If only the latest enemy — the brown marmorated stink bug — would follow suit.
Damage to fruit and vegetable crops from stink bugs in Middle Atlantic states has reached critical levels, according to a government report. That is in addition to the headaches the bugs are giving homeowners who cannot keep them out of their living rooms — especially the people who unwittingly step on them. When stink bugs are crushed or become irritated, they emit a pungent odor that is sometimes described as skunklike.
Suddenly, the bedbug (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/b/bedbugs/index.html?inline=nyt-classifier) has competition for pest of the year.
Farmers in Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and other states are battling a pest whose appetite has left dry boreholes in everything from apples and grapes to tomatoes and soybeans. Stink bugs have made their mark on 20 percent of the apple crop at Mr. Masser’s Scenic View Orchards (http://www.scenicvieworchards.com/) here. Other farmers report far worse damage.
“They’re taking money out of your pocket, just like a thief,” said Mr. Masser, flicking stink bugs off his shirt and baseball cap as he overlooked his 325 acres, a few miles south of the Pennsylvania border. “We need to stop them.”
No one seems to know how. Government and university researchers say they need more time to study the bug, which has been in the United States since about 1998. Native to Asia, it was first found in Allentown, Pa., and has no natural enemies here.
Some people noticed an increase in the stink bug population last year, but all agreed that this year’s swarm was out of control. Researchers say the bugs reproduced at a faster rate this year, but they are unsure why.
“These are the hot spots right now, but they’re spreading everywhere,” Mr. Masser said. “They even found them out in Oregon.”
Populations of the brown marmorated stink bug — different from the green stink bugs that are kept in check by natural predators here — have been found in 15 states, and specimens in 14 other states, according to the United States Department of Agriculture (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/a/agriculture_department/index.html?inline=nyt-org).
The bug travels well, especially as it seeks warm homes before the onset of cold weather.
“It’s an incredible hitchhiker,” said Tracy Leskey, an entomologist with the Agriculture Department’s Appalachian Fruit Research Station in Kearneysville, W.Va. (http://www.ars.usda.gov/main/site_main.htm?modecode=19-31-00-00) “The adults are moving and looking for places to spend the winter.”
The research station is among three laboratories looking for a solution. Government and university researchers also formed a working group this summer. But Kevin Hackett, national program leader for invasive insects for the Agriculture Department’s research arm, said no immediate solution was in sight.
“We need to do considerable more research to solve the problem,” he said. “We don’t even have a way to monitor the pests. I’m confident that we have excellent researchers. I’m not confident we’re going to find a solution immediately.”
The department is spending $800,000 this fiscal year on stink bug research, double last year’s budget, Mr. Hackett said. But he estimated that seven more full-time researchers were needed, at a cost of about $3.5 million a year for salaries and research expenses.
In Asia, a parasitic wasp helps control stink bug populations by attacking their eggs. Unleashing those wasps here, however, is at least several years away because they would first need to be quarantined and studied.
There has been limited success using black pyramid traps in orchards, Ms. Leskey said. The traps contain scents that trigger sexual arousal. The nymphs, or young bugs, respond seasonlong, Ms. Leskey wrote in a recent report, but adults respond only late in the season, in late August.
Representative Roscoe G. Bartlett, Republican of Maryland, convened a meeting last week of officials from the Agriculture Department and the Environmental Protection Agency (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/e/environmental_protection_agency/index.html?inline=nyt-org). He is pushing to have the stink bug reclassified, which would allow farmers to use stronger pesticides, and is advocating that the Agriculture Department reallocate $3 million of its budget for research.
A problem that can arise when more pesticides are used, experts and farmers say, is that many years’ worth of effective “integrated pest management” can be ruined in the process. Farmers kill some pests but allow others to live because they prey on yet other pests. Wasps, for example, eat worms that otherwise would kill crops.
“It is a way to use nature’s own defenses against pests in orchards,” said Steve Jacobs, an urban entomologist at Pennsylvania State University (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/p/pennsylvania_state_university/index.html?inline=nyt-org).
“That’s been finely tuned and works well. This brown marmorated stink bug blows all that out the window. You kill them today, new ones come tomorrow. So this is a serious problem.”
Meanwhile, homeowners in the region are coping with this latest nuisance.
Vicky Angell of Thurmont, Md., said she first noticed the stink bugs last year, but “not in flocks” like this summer. She kills about six a day and suspects that they get inside her home when she leaves the door open to let the dog out.
Ms. Angell said she flushes them down the toilet after catching them in a napkin. Other people use their vacuum. And many have turned to exterminators.
Stink bugs, whose backs resemble knights’ shields, do not bite humans and pose no known health hazards — even the fruit they have gotten to is edible, once the hardened parts are cut out. They leave small craters on the surface of an apple or pear, and the inside can get brown and corklike. Females can grow to nearly the size of a quarter. “Marmorated” refers to their marbled or streaked appearance.
Still, sometimes they are just too close for comfort. Ms. Angell said she got a surprise when she put on her pants Friday morning, having washed them and left them to dry in her laundry room.
She felt something in the right rear pocket.
“I thought I left a piece of paper in them when I washed them,” she said.
But it was not paper.
“Pulled it out. He was alive. Stink bug. Flushed him down the toilet,” she said. “I thought, I’m glad I didn’t sit on that.”
Kelli Wilson of Burkittsville, Md., said her home had been overrun by the bugs, especially in the past week. In the afternoon sun, the north-facing exterior of the house “is black with stink bugs,” she said. “It looks like the wall is crawling.”
Mrs. Wilson’s husband, Raymond, skipped services on Sunday at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Burkittsville to remove stink bugs from the house. Mrs. Wilson discovered a little hitchhiker as she and her children arrived at the church. “I just pulled into the parking lot and there’s one on my purse,” she said. “They travel with me now.”
Mr. Jacobs, the urban entomologist, said the response to stink bugs so far is not an overreaction. “I’m standing here in my living room watching some of them crawl up my walls,” he said. “The best thing to do is make your house as tight as possible. Use masking tape to seal around sliding glass doors, air-conditioners.”
Mr. Masser, the Sabillasville farmer, said that he had not yet raised his prices to offset losses, but added that it was a possibility next year if a solution to the stink bug invasion was not found.
“Stink bugs are going to destroy a lot of food — it’s just starting,” he said. “When Joe Blow starts hollering because he can’t find the food he wants, they’ll respond then.”
Pedaling Fool
11-07-2010, 09:22
I've been reading some more on them and it seems they were first discovered here in 1998, although they say probably got here years before that.
Which got me thinking: When did I first learn about stinkbugs?:-? Seems like I've always known about them, when I saw them in my garden I knew exactly what they were. I want to say I've known about them since I was a kid, suffice it to say that was before 1998:D
They seem to only be a problem when in large numbers, like what happened this year and then only to produce, other than that they're just a nuisance. I've also read how they break the skin of produce and leave a brown mark, I have noticed that on some of my tomatoes, but I still eat them, if it's bad enough I just cut away the affected area.
To me the real question is, "Why are they swarming now?"
And of course, "When did I first learn about the stinkbug?"
Where were you when you first heard of the stinkbug?:D
C Seeker
11-07-2010, 09:36
The stinkbugs is a dark brown color and some have a little red on there wings when they fly.
I have never heard of a stinkbug biting someone and don't think they can.
The reason why they are now swarming is because there is no amimals here in the US to eat them and get them under control. As they imported the stinkbugs to get rid of the lady bugs.
Pedaling Fool
11-07-2010, 09:54
The stinkbugs is a dark brown color and some have a little red on there wings when they fly.
Yes, I assume we're all talking about the Brown Marmorated stinkbug, as opposed to the green stinkbug, which is kept more in check by predators.
The reason why they are now swarming is because there is no amimals here in the US to eat them and get them under control.
Yes there apparently is not a natural predator (other than possibly the chicken) to keep their numbers in check. However, why now, if they've been here since atleast 1998? Insects usually produce in large numbers, combine that with the fact there's virtually no predators, what took so long?
As they imported the stinkbugs to get rid of the lady bugs.
That's the first I've heard of that. Ladybugs are well known to be beneficial insects to gardeners. Do you have a reference?
...As they imported the stinkbugs to get rid of the lady bugs.
Well if the lady bugs are a food source for the stinkbugs, it is beginning to make sense. For the last 2-3 years the lady bugs were swarming all over the place, similar in numbers to the stinkbugs this year. The stinkbugs just had a plentiful source of food and few predators (chickens?.. as already mentioned). So next year we're going to have swarming chickens all over the place?!
TheYoungOne
11-07-2010, 10:37
Yes, I assume we're all talking about the Brown Marmorated stinkbug, as opposed to the green stinkbug, which is kept more in check by predators.
Yes there apparently is not a natural predator (other than possibly the chicken) to keep their numbers in check. However, why now, if they've been here since atleast 1998? Insects usually produce in large numbers, combine that with the fact there's virtually no predators, what took so long?
That's the first I've heard of that. Ladybugs are well known to be beneficial insects to gardeners. Do you have a reference?
I don't think stinkbugs eat ladybugs, but it seems the compete for similar resourses. Years ago we would ge swarms of ladybugs, nothing crazy, just a bunch in the windowsills and under the deck in the fall. Now those areas are filled with stinkbugs. The more stinkbug you see in an area, the less ladybugs you see. Ladybug have always been a common sight here in PA , but I probably seen 4 or 5 all summer.
They must be moving south for the winter. Shelters in Pa. had a fair amount when I hiked there 2 weeks ago.
yea I've seen flocks flying over the house!
Wise Old Owl
11-07-2010, 12:06
Stinkbugs were not imported deliberatly, they were brought here hiding within cardboard boxes from China, they have been accidentally introduced all over the world. When they were first recognized in Allentown years ago I can assure you they are here to stay. I also recognize that the stinkbug "might" have a lot to do with the massive shipping caused by the rise of popularity of Walmart.
Not much will kill a stinkbug and vacume is still the preferred meathod.
Most pest control companiies do not have an answer about how to treet stinkbugs. (except mine)
Furlough
11-07-2010, 12:12
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http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2010/09/27/us/STINKBUG-1/STINKBUG-1-articleInline.jpg (javascript:pop_me_up2('http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2010/09/27/us/STINKBUG-1.html','STINKBUG_1_html','width=720,height=562,sc rollbars=yes,toolbars=no,resizable=yes'))
Wise Old Owl
11-07-2010, 12:14
Ouch they do not move south for the winter. They simply populate and are a light sensitive bug... They notice the difference between the light of the day and the length of the night. just after the fall equinox and before the first frost they try to find a harborage. They are looking for a spot to hide before the tempretures fall below 72 degrees... your attic is perfect place to hide and I have see homes with three or four inches of them all the way across. If your home has a contrast (white on brown) or all brown, The second floor looks like a big tree and they want to move in.
I got a brother who lives in VA, he says there were tons if them in his car.
Pedaling Fool
11-07-2010, 17:10
I don't think stinkbugs eat ladybugs...
No, I never believed they were purposely imported to control ladybugs, makes no sense, since ladybugs are not considered a nuisance, for the most part, actually I've never heard anyone complain about them. Furthermore, I know some gardeners actually buy them to place in their garden to combat the aphids (sp?).
...but it seems the compete for similar resourses. Years ago we would ge swarms of ladybugs, nothing crazy, just a bunch in the windowsills and under the deck in the fall. Now those areas are filled with stinkbugs. The more stinkbug you see in an area, the less ladybugs you see. Ladybug have always been a common sight here in PA , but I probably seen 4 or 5 all summer.
I don't believe that either (but just guessing). Since ladybugs eat primarily little insects and stinkbugs eat produce. I don't believe they really compete for any thing. As for them swarming, the schedule of the ladybug and stinkbug swarms are probably totally unrealted.
As WOO said and from what I've read they, like many other things, were accidently introduced.
johnnybgood
11-07-2010, 17:58
I have heard that bats will eat these stinkbugs if nothing else will.
They were everywhere in PA several weeks ago , within sight no matter where you went. Wanted to squash a number of them but was told that the "stink would stay on your shoes ", so I thought better.
The proliferation of these nuisances certainly are unwelcome and their numbers are increasing. I found one on the outside of my windowsill last week and
had never seen them in VA before except in the northwestern Blue Ridge Mountains.
I too had heard that they were brought here by accident , thought to from China or Japan.
Pedaling Fool
11-14-2010, 10:22
I read on a lot of gardening websites and they're always talking about how destructive stinkbugs are, especially on sunflowers. I have yet to see the destruction, although they really do love the sunflowers, I see them on no other plant when I have sunflowers, especially in bloom, but I can’t see any negative effects.
Beetles are my major problem in the garden, especially on the sunflowers; they will burrow into them and destroy large swaths of seeds.
Never been bitten by a stinkbug, despite handling them quit a bit (out of curiosity). I’ve never smelled a stinkbug, as I understand the stink-issue, it’s only an issue when they are crushed. But even then I wonder how pervasive the smell is, seems like being outdoors would carry away much of the stench.
They probably are capable of biting, but like I said, never been bitten by one, despite handling them. However, I’ve been bitten by lady bugs – that’s strange, I’ve never heard of any one being bit by a lady bug, but I have, but I don’t kill them since they’re suppose to be good to the garden.
I stand corrected.
I've been reading some more on stinkbugs and looking closer at my sunflower seeds and I've been able to identify a few (seeds) that seem to have been sucked dry. This is hardly noticeable since I don't have stinkbugs swarming here and there are so many seeds to one flower. So as of now I've been able to see the stinkbug impact on my sunflowers and tomatoes, but luckily not enough to really impact my garden as a whole; like I said before the damage to the tomatoes doesn't prevent me from harvesting them. I could see a problem if they did swarm, but as of now the beetle is a bigger problem.
What do your bees think of them?
Pedaling Fool
11-14-2010, 10:31
Never seen any interaction between them. However, that does raise an interesting question. I wonder if a wasp, since I see them all the time gathering pollen, would hunt a stinkbug as a food source for their young.
BTW, I'm about to call an expert on the monster bee I saw; I can't find it anywhere. But, much like bigfoot, I haven't seen it since.
C Seeker
11-27-2010, 10:02
That's the first I've heard of that. Ladybugs are well known to be beneficial insects to gardeners. Do you have a reference?
I have been told that they were imported, but can not prove it.
The one thing I have been using to kill them in water(warm kills them faster) and a touch of soup(optional) I already killed about 30 this morning when I was taking down my christmas decorations. I think on the trail i will bring a small plastic cup and use some of my water and kill tons :) So the next hiker will have a little less.
Pedaling Fool
11-27-2010, 10:07
I have been told that they were imported, but can not prove it.
The one thing I have been using to kill them in water(warm kills them faster) and a touch of soup(optional) I already killed about 30 this morning when I was taking down my christmas decorations. I think on the trail i will bring a small plastic cup and use some of my water and kill tons :) So the next hiker will have a little less.
I remember reading somewhere that chickens will eat them, which doesn't surprise me, I've raised chickens and they eat anything.
I think it would be worth a try if you live in a properly zoned area, if nothing else you always got dinner and breakfast just outside your front door.;)
I remember reading somewhere that chickens will eat them, which doesn't surprise me, I've raised chickens and they eat anything.
I think it would be worth a try if you live in a properly zoned area, if nothing else you always got dinner and breakfast just outside your front door.;)
I'm guessing they don't taste like chicken because I can't imagine chickens eating anything that tastes like themselves. I do remember reading that stinkbugs are used in Mexican dishes like chili or tacos. Also, I've noticed my dog eating them, but she's a golden retriever and eats anything (hmmm... maybe that's why I never have to clean the kitty litter?).
C Seeker
11-27-2010, 21:30
I remember reading somewhere that chickens will eat them, which doesn't surprise me, I've raised chickens and they eat anything.
I think it would be worth a try if you live in a properly zoned area, if nothing else you always got dinner and breakfast just outside your front door.;)
A few years back I was makeing a peanut butter shake and couldn't figure out why it smelled like stickbugs when I saw none in the blender. I then quickly learned when i started drinking the shake that there was one in a small crack. :mad: That was the first time and last time I will ever make my own peanut butter shake!
I also know every now and then my dog eats a stinkbug, and I get to smell his breath for a while. I can say that there is no way that they not stink.
nikole957
12-06-2010, 07:59
Well if the lady bugs are a food source for the stinkbugs, it is beginning to make sense. For the last 2-3 years the lady bugs were swarming all over the place, similar in numbers to the stinkbugs this year. The stinkbugs just had a plentiful source of food and few predators (chickens?.. as already mentioned). So next year we're going to have swarming chickens all over the place?!
I don't think stinkbugs eat ladybugs, but it seems the compete for similar resourses. Years ago we would ge swarms of ladybugs, nothing crazy, just a bunch in the windowsills and under the deck in the fall. Now those areas are filled with stinkbugs. The more stinkbug you see in an area, the less ladybugs you see. Ladybug have always been a common sight here in PA , but I probably seen 4 or 5 all summer.
Toolshed
12-06-2010, 08:23
(I'm basing this on many, many years of being in pest control) Like other swarming insects, I don't think Ladybugs swarm every year. You have peak years and then the population crashes for a few years. In 2005, It seemed it was a peak year for Stinkbugs, here in Lehigh Valley. We haven't seen many until this year, 2010. Perhaps a 5 year population cycle. In addition, 2006 & 2009 seemed like huge years for lady bugs. But I didn't see a lot in the intervening years, they might have a 3-year cycle and the booms haven't met up yet. (Watch out, 2015 could be a crazy year);)
I would rather have swarms of lady bugs than stinkbugs. Lady bugs at least eat aphids, so I'm told. Stinkbugs... I don't know what they are good for except taco and chili seasoning.
C Seeker
12-30-2010, 12:39
I found out one thing that will kill the in less than a second.... A TAZER! My house has about 5-10 in it a day through the winter and well lets not talk about when it gets warm. Well my dad decided to see what a tazer would do and well they died in a heart beat and they don't stink. I may think about bring on one my through hike. For to reasons #1. kill stinkbugs #2 safety in towns and around town on my thru-hike in June.
Wise Old Owl
12-30-2010, 14:14
They are attracted to UV bug zappers at night.
C Seeker
12-30-2010, 22:42
They are not attracted to them as at my house we only get one out of 50 hitting it a night. But I will say they burn up for a while...gotta love the sound of a frying stinkbug
Half Note
01-02-2011, 16:47
A few years back I was makeing a peanut butter shake and couldn't figure out why it smelled like stickbugs when I saw none in the blender. I then quickly learned when i started drinking the shake that there was one in a small crack. :mad: That was the first time and last time I will ever make my own peanut butter shake!
Yeesh, I think I may even be traumatized by this too.
LoneRidgeRunner
01-02-2011, 16:57
Quote:
Originally Posted by john gault http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/wb_style/buttons/viewpost.gif (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?p=1066298#post1066298)
I read on a lot of gardening websites and they're always talking about how destructive stinkbugs are, especially on sunflowers. I have yet to see the destruction, although they really do love the sunflowers, I see them on no other plant when I have sunflowers, especially in bloom, but I can’t see any negative effects.
Beetles are my major problem in the garden, especially on the sunflowers; they will burrow into them and destroy large swaths of seeds.
Never been bitten by a stinkbug, despite handling them quit a bit (out of curiosity). I’ve never smelled a stinkbug, as I understand the stink-issue, it’s only an issue when they are crushed. But even then I wonder how pervasive the smell is, seems like being outdoors would carry away much of the stench.
They probably are capable of biting, but like I said, never been bitten by one, despite handling them. However, I’ve been bitten by lady bugs – that’s strange, I’ve never heard of any one being bit by a lady bug, but I have, but I don’t kill them since they’re suppose to be good to the garden.
I had never heard of anyone being bitten by a ladybug either until recently when my Dad said he was bitten by one a few days later I got bitten by one..
C Seeker
01-06-2011, 12:02
Yeesh, I think I may even be traumatized by this too.
I is a great conversion started I can say. Also the other day a stinkbug got into the coffee grounds right before it started brewing :eek: Luckly I was the first person to find out.
Wise Old Owl
01-06-2011, 12:38
They are not attracted to them as at my house we only get one out of 50 hitting it a night. But I will say they burn up for a while...gotta love the sound of a frying stinkbug
Clean the grid and replace the bub - as the bulb ages - it stops pumping out the UV as much but appears to be still lit, even the manufacture says this in the instructions. We have a Gilbert mounted in the attic and it is full of them.
http://www.gilbertinc.com/711.htm
Toolshed
03-06-2011, 10:01
There may be salvation (http://articles.mcall.com/2011-03-03/news/mc-stinkbug-killing-wasp-20110303_1_stink-bugs-tracy-leskey-parasitic-wasps) close at hand. That is, If they find the wasps don't destroy anything else.
Pedaling Fool
08-08-2011, 20:08
What's happening with the stinkbugs up north? I was reminded by this in the Wash. Post, but not really a story, more of a photo gallery. http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/stink-bugs-are-back/2011/08/06/gIQAmcKE1I_gallery.html?wpisrc=nl_most#photo=1
Pedaling Fool
09-26-2012, 11:16
^^^I said, what's happening with the stinkbugs up north? http://news.yahoo.com/stink-bug-invasion-promises-foul-fall-204016553.html
Stink Bug Invasion Promises Foul Fall
By Eli MacKinnon, Life's Little Mysteries Staff Writer | LiveScience.com – 18 hrs ago
An invading force is laying the groundwork for a coup in the United States this year, and it's going on right under our noses. The brown marmorated stink bug, an insect species from Asia that has been steadily expanding its range since it landed on the East Coast 15 years ago, will begin to sneak into the homes of unprepared Americans by the hundreds in the coming weeks, entomologists say.
And because of an unusual late-season surge in the invasive pest's numbers, scientists and crop specialists worry that the bug could make one of its strongest showings ever when it comes out of hiding in the spring.
"We've seen increases in populations over the last month or so," said Tracy Leskey, a research entomologist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. "This is something that's different than in 2011."
Behind the invasion
In early fall, the stink bugs start to look for shelter in warm, indoor crannies, and attics are among their favorite places to set up thousands-thick overwintering settlements. A late batch of stink bug nymphs was born last October, but the majority probably perished in the field before maturing, Leskey told Life's Little Mysteries.
This year, however, two full generations have already managed to reach maturity ? likely due in part to an early spring ? so more will be ready to weather the winter and start multiplying as soon as spring arrives, according to Leskey. [Image Gallery: Invasive Species (http://www.livescience.com/13143-invasive-species-images.html)]
In the United States, brown marmorated stink bugs are most prevalent in the Mid-Atlantic states. A recent national survey (http://www.pctonline.com/Hometeam-stink-bug-survey.aspx) conducted by Hometeam Pest Defense found that 59 percent of Washington, D.C., homeowners had had problems with the bugs, making the nation's capital their densest urban stronghold. But the invasive species (http://www.ouramazingplanet.com/115-alien-invaders-destructive-invasive-species.html) has now spread to 38 states, including California and Oregon, according to USDA-funded research.
Who should worry?
Beyond the unpleasant smell they release when frightened or smashed, the pests pose no threat to homeowners. But their wide-ranging appetites and their dearth of natural predators in the United States make them a costly concern to farmers.
"About anything that makes a seed or a fruit they'll eat," said Ames Herbert, an entomologist at Virginia Tech University who researches ways to protect Virginia's soy bean crop from the brown marmorated stink bug.
Herbert said crop infestations in Virginia were not as densely populated this year as they were in 2011 but that the bug has roughly doubled its range since last year, with colonies registered in about 40 of the state's 95 counties.
There are no comprehensive estimates on the economic damage caused by stink bugs, but an analysis by the U.S. Apple Association found that stink bugs cost Mid-Atlantic apple growers $37 million in 2010.
What to do?
Both Leskey and Herbert are hopeful that coordinated research and surveillance efforts will help turn the tide against the stink bug. Leskey said researchers have isolated an important stink bug pheromone, which could revolutionize trapping efforts.
She also said an Asian wasp that is one of the bug's natural predators is being tested for introduction to the United States.
Homeowners who want to avoid harboring stink bugs for the winter should make sure their homes are well-sealed, Leskey said.
Oh, well. Here we go again - another reason to carry a tent. They were all over the shelters in Oct. 2010 when I hiked central Pa. Just don't step or sleep on them and you'll be ok. :D
hikerboy57
09-26-2012, 13:44
another reason to close the borders
Snowleopard
09-26-2012, 14:17
I hate these things! I thought I had stinkbugs last fall and it turned out to be Western conifer seed bugs; they look very similar and also smell, but probably not as smelly as stinkbugs. I have a paddle shaped bug zapper that works great on other bugs, but it smells too bad when used on the conifer seed bugs. The best thing I've found is to flick them into a container of soapy water or coax them onto a piece of stiff paper and dump into the soapy water. In plain water they swim, in soapy water they drown. Swatting them smells bad. I feel sorry for the people who have massive infestations of stink bugs.
Brown marmorated stinkbug: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown_marmorated_stink_bug
Western conifer seed bug: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_conifer_seed_bug
Pedaling Fool
09-26-2012, 15:30
I can see how one can mis-identify those two species.
Sounds like the stinkbugs maxed out in 2010, but that's not uncommon to see some years with large numbers of bugs compared to other years. I was just curious since we had a mild winter, but doesn't seem to have caused an increase in stinkbugs, which makes sense because I've heard that the commonly held belief that mild winters cause more bugs is largely a myth.
I was at Ed Garvey Shelter just north of Harpers Ferry last October and the stink bugs were so thick that no one would sleep in the shelter, everyone was in tents. They were so thick around Weaverton Cliffs that people wouldn't go to the overlook.
They destroyed my tomato plants this year and get in my house. What a pain.
spike camp
02-09-2013, 13:06
Stink bugs are so gross!
Stink Bug
02-09-2013, 13:12
Stink bugs are so gross!
Hey!! I resemble that remark :)
Wise Old Owl
02-09-2013, 13:16
Well Spike thanks for bubbling up the old thread. Since 2010 the pest control company I work for is still treating homes in the area for stink bugs. If you are deep in the woods and have old windows or an old wood home prior to 1945, we power spray the outside in fall to create a reduction, most homes that are treated need 9-15 gallons of product placed carefully around windows and doors and eaves to the attic to gain a reduction... Only one or two products work and that is proprietary.
What I find funny about the bugs is they can get past fly-screens on modern windows. They are attached to light and can negotiate the heat vents from the attic thru the High hats or recessed lighting in modern homes.
So yes a hammock or tent would be optimum.
Carry-On
02-09-2013, 14:04
They were everywhere on the trail in PA in Oct 2012. It was crazy. I found them in EVERYTHING! I even found a couple in my food bag from leaving it open for a few minutes. I got to Harpers Ferry at the end of Oct, just before Hurricane Sandy. After the storm it was so cold they weren't as bad as I headed sobo into Virginia, but they still turned up occasionally.
Snowleopard
02-09-2013, 14:58
...
What I find funny about the bugs is they can get past fly-screens on modern windows. They are attached to light and can negotiate the heat vents from the attic thru the High hats or recessed lighting in modern homes.
Figuring out how they get in the house drives me crazy. Do you have any suggestions on blocking them out in a modern house?
HikerMom58
02-09-2013, 15:02
Hey!! I resemble that remark :)
...............;)
They are everywhere in VA!!
Wise Old Owl
02-09-2013, 15:08
Most homes after the 80's are airtight, close the windows permanently in early fall when temps around the time of the fall equinox fall below 74 degrees. If High hats extend into the attic are accessible make a fly screen bucket to go over them and cover the bathroom fan as well. Get a Dustbuster or a stick vacuum. - still available at Walmart. Finally depending on how bad it is if you were getting over 50 a day inside the house spend $250 - $350 for the Gilbert Fly lamp and install in the attic, on its own AC plug to run 24/7 if you have multiple attics you will need multiple units. This is a very large commercial fly light that only needs to be maintained once a year...
http://www.gilbertinc.com/220.htm
Anything else would require a professional as the products is highly regulated.
Snowleopard
02-09-2013, 16:32
WOO, thanks for that info. I guess I'll be spending some time in my attic this spring.
hauptman
02-10-2013, 02:55
Although they are related to stink bugs, they aren't exactly the same thing. True stink bugs are worse. You can tell by the slight sour apple smell in their spray, not so bad once you get used to them. My old school would get super infested and we would see who could quickly kill the most of them.