Stink bugs, likewise known as shield bugs or chust bugs, are bugs that that belong in the Pentatomoidea family under the order Hemiptera. The name Pentatomoidea originated from the Greek word “pente”, that means five and “tomos” meaning segment. It should come to no surprise then that stink bugs possess antennae with five segments, as the name would suggest. These insects, in addition, have triangular, shield-like bodies (hence the name “shield bug”) and four thick wings. Many stink bugs are brightly colored but most are generally green to brown.
The brown marmorated stink bug or Halyomorpha halys, is a native of East Asia particulary, China, Korea, Japan and Taiwan. These brown stink bugs were not reported in the United States until September 1998 in Allentown, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania. But as mentioned by Penn State University entomologist Steve Jacobs, these bugs may have possibly been in the U.S. even before that.
Almost all brown stink bugs rely on plants for food. They do not hurt humans unless threatened, however, they make a good pest for farmers especially in the southern counties. The brown stink bugs have been identified in 37 counties and are assumed to infest other regions too. These insects feed on a huge variety of fruits, vegetables and other plants such as peaches, apples, raspberries, tomatoes, beans and green peppers. Approximately $37 million worth of agricultural crops were believed to have been damaged by stink bugs during the previous year.
Stink bugs are usually busy flying and infesting crops from spring to fall, and they go through hibernation during winter. Aside from being agricultural pests, these bugs are also known for invading homes and buildings. Brown stink bugs endure the winter season by finding refuge in the warmth of houses and other structures, and crawl into door frames, window cracks, sidings or any space or opening that’s big enough to fit through. They go into a state of hibernation once inside the house, and stay there until the winter season is over. The warmth inside the house, however, often causes them to become active and they may just fly everywhere, especially around the light fixtures in ceilings.
Brown stink bugs, without a doubt, have been considered as both indoor and outdoor pests. Although they are not known to cause harm to humans physically, stink bugs nevertheless cause damage in several other ways. Today, Americans are trying to deal with it. But for the time being, they still have to learn it by experimentation.
