The Brown Marmorated Stinkbug

Brown Marmorated Stinkbug

The brown marmorated stinkbug is an invasive species. It is causing damage to many different crops in the central east coast states of the U.S. We have native stinkbugs in the area, but these are different. Originating from Asia, they were was first seen in the U.S. in Allentown PA in 1998 and are now present in most states.

I first noticed them in the Rocky Mount area around 2018 after a move, but they might have been present for some years earlier. They were first reported in NC in 2009 in Forsyth County, but when did they reach our counties?

They come inside through cracks to survive the winter in a dormant state, then on the first warm days they're trying to get back out the windows. Should you let them out or kill them?

They're very versatile pests, damaging apples, apricots, cherries, corn, grapes, lima beans, peaches, pears, peppers, tomatoes, and soybeans, to name a few. Their mouthparts penetrate deep and they inject saliva, causing crops to rot on the inside. States in the Virginia to Pennsylvania region seem to be most affected right now. It isn't as severe in North Carolina as Virginia, but Rocky Mount is not far from Virginia. I wonder how bad it is for our local farmers.

Stink bugs are also known as shield bugs. They release a foul-smelling substance as a defensive measure when threatened.

How can we reduce the damage to crops from the brown marmorated stinkbug without dumping more poison onto our food supply? Perhaps supporting its predators could help. Perhaps traps can be an effective means of reducing their numbers.