On the Lookout for Stinkbugs

The bug from Hell

Our local newspaper has posted an advisory that there could be a very large population of brown marmorated stink bugs emerging in the spring.  According to the article, this insect has a voracious appetite, no domestic natural predators and a taste for everything from apples to lima beans, has caused millions of dollars in crop damage and may just be getting started.  An invader from Asia, the brown marmorated stink bug is believed to have been brought first to the Allentown, Pa., area in 1998.

The bug, named for the foul smell it gives off when crushed, will feed on nearly anything, including cherries, tomatoes, grapes, lima beans, soybeans, green peppers, apples and peaches. It uses a needle-like mouth to pierce the skin of its host fruit or vegetable, leaving behind a spot that is disfigured and discolored.

Fortunately, we haven't spotted any of these bugs yet this Spring (but with all the rain lately, we haven't been out that much).  It's sure seems like when you've become accustomed to dealing with one menace, yet another one appears.