Many ask, “Do stink bugs stink?” For people who have not got an idea on what exactly stink bugs are, this particular question may sound really genuine. However, for East Asian folks and U.S. southern states residents, this question is simple.
Stink bugs are a well-known pest in its native East Asian countries like China, South Korea, Japan and Taiwan. They feed on a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, even legumes. The brown marmorated stink bugs are totally alien to American residents until their occurrence in September 1998 in Allentown, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania. But according to the Penn State University entomologist Steve Jacobs, these bugs may have arrived earlier, probably in 1996. They rapidly grew in population ever since and have invaded not just farms, vineyards and orchards, but also households.
Now, time to answer the main question, “Do stink bugs stink?” Stink bugs do stink – big time. Stink bugs are not termed stink bugs for no good reason. Stink bugs are very well-known for producing a foul-smelling liquid when threatened. The two glands situated on the thorax, just between the first and second pair of legs, is what secretes the horrible-smelling liquid. The awful smell stops potential predators from attacking and functions as a defensive strategy.
The fact that they stink made the situation of Americans a whole lot worse. As mentioned by Real Kill Termite and Pest Control Specialists owner, Bob Summers, “They have no natural predator. A bird won’t eat them because they stink. A spider won’t eat them either because they stink.” Since no one wants to eat them, they just continue to grow in number.
Do stink bugs stink? For the typical American family, yes they do stink, in a literal sense. But for farmers, it’s more than just the smell. These bugs have made a huge stink on their agricultural crops. In fact last year, stink bugs were reported to have damaged an estimated $37 million worth of agricultural crops. Stink bug damages in the previous year are greatest in the southern states, expanding from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh.
So if someone asks you, “Do stink bugs stink?” you may answer it literally, as would the common residents of East Asia and southern states. Or perhaps you can answer just like an overwrought farmer who cultivated crops, just to end up being stunk by stinky bugs.
