Stink bugs are expected to invade in record numbers
WAYNE – What's the big stink all about?
Halyomorpha halys, better known as "stink bugs," are expected to pop up in record numbers throughout the state and will be taking up residence in your home as the onslaught of cold weather approaches.
Despite their small size, equal to that of a pumpkin seed, the brown marmorated stink bugs cause a nasty odor when crushed. The stinky critters were imported from East Asia first landing in Allentown, Pa. in 1996, and later making their way to New Jersey in 1999, according to Elaine Fogerty, the Passaic County agricultural assistant for Rutgers Cooperative Extension.
Stink bugs do not bite people or pets, says Fogerty, rather, they suck juice out of plants and vegetation, fruits and leaves. According to StopBMSB.org, over 100 diverse plant species are at risk of attack.
And now with the colder temperatures coming, stink bugs will be looking for a warm place to hide. Stink bugs do not mate or eat during this time, Fogerty said.
"They are attracted to light, and sometimes they get caught between the inside of the walls," Fogerty stated. "My best suggestion is to caulk any open spots so they can't get in there."
It's not their ugly physical look that sends people running but their pungent foul smelling odor they emit when the feel threatened or are squashed. The spray, which is released from a gland underneath their body, is not only irritating to the nose but it can also aggravate the eyes too. According to www.stinkbugcontrol.net, people that have been sprayed in the eyes have suffered immense pain and those with chronic allergies and nasal problems had to seek medical attention in a hospital.
Stink bugs are not the type of pest that are controlled by spraying, as done for mosquitoes, said Eric Green, superintendent of Passaic County Mosquito Control.
However, smashing them like an everyday housefly or mosquito would result in the unwelcomed odor.
"Pesticides should not be used inside the house either," says Fogerty.