Stink bugs could be a bigger problem than bed bugs
Giving the bed bug some stiff competition this year, the stink bug has emerged as a serious problem in the United States.
Farmers in Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and other states are reporting that stink bugs are leaving dry bore holes in their crops, and the damage is hitting dangerous levels this year.
Looking for warmth for the winter, stink bugs are now creeping into homes, offices and hotels, and hitching rides in trucks, buses, even your handbag.
Originally only found in Asia, stink bugs first made their way to U.S. around 1998 in Allentown, Pennsylvania.
When stink bugs feel they are in danger, or when they’re squished, they give off an awful, musty odor.
The U.S. Agriculture Department will spent more than $800,000 this year on stink bug research, twice as much as last year’s budget.
There is no known chemical pesticide (or at least legal chemical) that can deal with stink bugs in large numbers and they have no natural enemy outside of their native Asia. Chinese and Japanese scientists are looking into the use of a specific wasp to keep stink bug populations down
There are ways you can protect yourself:
Block holes in outside walls bigger than the diameter of a pencil
Examine door and window frames for holes
Make sure that door sweeps, doors and windows are sealed properly
Repair any damaged window screens
Although stink bugs do bite, there are no know diseases that have been reported with human contact.
I have found that Talstar insecticide from Southern States seems to work really well on these stink bugs.