Stink bugs, sometimes called shield bugs have become a real nuisance especially in the northeast. Many homeowners have had the unfortunate experience of having these odiferous insects move in with them. Besides invading houses stink bugs may also damage many types of plants.
Description
Stinks come in a wide variety of colors and patterns. Some areas have bright green stinkbugs while other areas may have stink bugs that are yellow with black dots or just plain brown. Stink bugs are generally between 13mm-19mm long, have a characteristic shield shape with a large triangle on the center back with wings that completely cover the abdomen. The name "stink bug" refers to the scent glands located on the underside of the bug.
Life Cycle
The stink bug is known to have up to four generations per year in warm climates. This bug overwinters as an adult, and hides in the bark of trees, leaf litter, or in some situations- homes or other structures to obtain protection from the weather. As spring temperatures begin to warm, the stink bug moves out of the winter cover and begins feeding, mating and laying eggs. A single female stink bug may lay as many as 260 eggs in her lifetime. Eggs are laid in masses of about 30 to 130 on the underside of leaves. Eggs take from 5 days to 3 weeks to hatch depending on the climate. Stink bugs go through a nymph stage that includes 5 instar phases (stages of development), followed by the adult stage. The entire cycle may take between 65-70 days.
Damage
Stink bugs cause plant damage by piercing delicate leaves and fruit with their piercing sucking mouthparts and removing sap and cell tissues, leaving small decayed areas. Not only is this damage unsightly but it may actually cause portions of the plant or entire pieces of fruit to wither and die. Stink bugs are also a nuisance to homeowners who have the misfortune of having these pests make their way inside to overwinter. Stink bugs do not truly infest homes as they do not feed, mate or lay eggs indoors. Stinkbugs also do not bite or otherwise harm humans. The biggest complaint with these bugs is the smell they are able to emit when irritated or crushed.
Management
- Stink bug control in the yard and garden can help prevent these pests from moving indoors for the winter. Treat in late summer before the insects have started to retreat to winter hiding places.
- Use spray residuals such as Demand CS or Onslaught for the best control. Following product label instructions spray infested areas in the yard to eliminate as many of these pests as possible. It is also prudent to spray a barrier treatment around the outside of your home to prevent as many bugs as possible from entering the structure. Gathering points or areas where you see stink bugs on structure walls should also be treated.
- If your home has already been invaded by stink bugs that are settling in for the winter you will need to identify the specific hiding places (usually wall voids or dropped ceilings), and treat within these areas. A residual dust like Tempo 1% dust or Delta dust can be applied directly into wall voids and underneath baseboards using a hand duster.
- For a small number of individual stink bugs roaming around your home a vacuum cleaner with a hose attachment will do the job quite nicely.
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