Do you have a pre-historic looking bug hiding in the folds of your window treatments? Or, under the lampshade down the hall? And, when you kill said bug, the entire area stinks? Well, that is a Stink Bug!
Where did they come from? As it turns out, stink bugs are Chinese imports, first reported around Allentown, Pa., in 1996. They were first identified in New Jersey in 1999 and are now found throughout the area.
They probably arrived in packing material with shipped goods — isn’t everything we buy these days made in China? Since touching down in America, the Asian stink bug has made remarkable progress for an insect that can take half an afternoon to make its way across your living room.
The good news is that that are totally harmless...the bad news is that, like skunks, they are equipped with glands that squirt a foul-smelling liquid as a defense against predators. The smell, is released when they are crushed or disturbed.
You’ll be happy to know that your government is on the case. The USDA’s Agricultural Research Service is working on a pheromone trap, similar to those that attract Japanese beetles.
Unfortunately, I have not seen anything on the market yet...so, co-habitation with Mr. Stink Bug is the only solution.
mj
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