Stink Bugs Wiki Information
by William Campbell,
Stink Bug Expert
Farmers all over the United States are keeping a worried eye on the mid-Atlantic states. The main concern is the stink bug situation. Recently farmers have noticed that the stink bug population is getting bigger. This means that the insect’s range is getting larger. If things continue, it will only be a matter of time before the insect is found in all of the 48 lower states, which could have a crippling effect on the country's crop production.
There are several different varieties of stink bug and each one has its own unique characteristics. To most people, the most obvious difference is going to be the appearance of the insect. Different varieties are different colors. The most commonly seen stink bug are the green ones and the brown ones. Some people also have black ones.
The brown stinkbug is causing the most concern for the farmers in the United States. This species is fairly new to the United States. It is native to China but it is doing very well for itself. The brown stink bug population is growing and it is steadily spreading across more and more of the United States. Since the insect eats plants, it is taking a huge toll on Pennsylvania’s fruit crops, especially the apples and peaches. When the bug starts feeding on a piece of fruit, the fruit can no longer be sold.
The brown stink bug was first introduced to the United States during the middle of the 1990’s and people first reported seeing the pretty, spade-shaped insect in Allentown, PA. The speed that the insect population is increasing could very well mean that it will take over the entire United States in the not-so-distant future.
Stink bugs get their name because they have tiny glands hidden inside their thorax. When the bug is crushed or it becomes alarmed, it uses these glands to emit an extremely foul smelling odor. Entomologists have a few theories about why this happens. One theory is that predators will assume that anything that smells foul cannot possibly be edible.
The other theory is that the stench is a warning mechanism to nearby stinkbugs that there is something dangerous in the area.
Controlling the population is not as easy as one would suspect. The insect has very few natural predators and the heavy use of pesticide can have a long-term impact on the land and can also kill off other species of insects.
Since pesticides are not a perfect solution, many people have started to turn to home remedies that have been successfully used as a repellent. One of the remedies is to plant catnip in the garden. The more catnip that gets planted, the more stink bugs it will repel. Another solution that some gardeners like is to spray their garden with a mixture of garlic and water.
Farmers are aware of the home remedies, but most of them are dealing with too much land to take advantage of the home remedies. Many of the farmers are trying to attract as many predators as they can. The choices are limited, as there are very few animals or other insects that are willing to eat a stinkbug. Two natural predators that have been useful are a parasitic wasp which attacks the eggs, and the European Starling, which eats the adults.
To read my personal story about battling an infestation of stink bugs in my home, please visit: