Where Do Stink Bugs Come From? Do They Really Smell?

If you live in the Midwest, there's a good chance you've noticed (or smelled) stink bugs by now.

There are many different stink bugs to be aware of; however, brown marmorated stink bugs are most common in the United States.

They feature a marbled design on their backs and are recognized for their distinctive shield form. Adults are about three-quarters of an inch long and formed like a shield.

They are brown, gray, or dark green in color. In addition, there are alternating light and dark bands on the slender outer end of the stomach on the antennae.

When they're threatened, they have glands that release a nasty odor. These pests create only one generation annually, but warm spring and summer temperatures may cause them to generate two or three.

Adult female stink bugs deposit huge eggs to lower leaves and stalks during the warm spring. The immature stink bugs, known as nymphs, often wander into neighboring farms or orchards once the eggs hatch.

Adult stink bugs are most active during spring through to late fall, when they come from their overwintering locations in search of warmth. Unfortunately, in many situations, their haven is also our haven, and householders begin to see vermin hanging from curtains, screens, lampshades, and other interior objects.

They won't harm you or your pets, but they can be a major pain if you have a yard at home or plant crops. Because stink bugs are herbivores, they will cause major destruction to plants in their search for food.

Learn all about stink bugs, and other fun things like where do bed bugs come fromandwhy do bugs like light too!

Where do stink bugs come from in your house?

Although some species of stink bugs are endemic to the United States, Brown Marmorated Stink Bugs are only found in Japan, Korea, China, and Taiwan.

Trissolcus japonicus, a wasp native to China, is the species' main predator. These pests eat fruit crops and soybeans in Japan and the United States.

In addition, bright lights are attractive to stink bugs. According to Michael J. Raupp, Ph.D., lecturer of entomology (The University of Maryland), 'stink bugs want to go inside when the temperature falls to seek shelter for something called as diapause, a phase in their life span when they're dormant'.

A stink insect enters diapause since there is no food to consume during that time in nature. According to Judy Black, vice president for quality assurance and technical services (Orkin), this phase permits a stink bug's digestion to slow down so it can fall dormant.

As a result, if your house is dark in color and has natural wood, stink bugs may mistake it for their usual hangout location, forcing them to congregate inside, according to Raupp.

Where do stink bugs come from in the winter?

Fall is usually the season most homeowners observe increased populations of stink bugs inside. It's because stink bugs are not capable of withstanding the cold weather of wintertime.

So as October rolls on, armies of stink bugs find their way inside through doors, chimneys, windows, and other cracks. As stink bugs seek shelter, they typically wind up in vehicles.

The brown marmorated stink bug was first discovered in eastern Pennsylvania (United States) in 1998.

It is native to China, Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea. The stink bug has spread to California, New York, Maryland, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, North Carolina, Washington, West Virginia, and D.C. One traveler said he drove hundreds of miles from his Pennsylvania home with a stink bug.

Where do stink bugs come from, and how can you get rid of them?

According to Black, when a stink bug discovers a nice shelter to hide in, it will release a scent that draws other stink bugs to the area. Like the brown marmorated stink bug, many believe it becomes an invasive species with no identified predators.

Most homeowners are bothered by the size of the pests and their foul odor. To get clear of stink bugs, you might use a mixture of prevention and eradication techniques.

First, seal any cracks you find around your ducts, door frames, windows, baseboards, and utility boxes. For a short while, the vacuum might smell of stink bugs. After each use, make sure to clear the vacuum.

According to Raupp, you may also flip the lid of a plastic bottle, fill it with soapy water, sweep up the insects, and let them drop in and drown. Afterward, feel free to return these to the environment by placing them in a zip lock bag and tossing them in the garbage.

When you're dealing with a large population of them and don't think you'll be able to handle the infestation on your own, it's time to hire a pest management agency. A pheromone created by the Agriculture department is utilized in baiting.

Because stink bugs are not social organisms, their management and control during the year ensure that a new population does not emerge after the preceding one has been eliminated. To be free from this pest, call your local pest control company.

Do plants attract stink bugs?

Since stink bugs are herbivores, they congregate in farm areas, orchards, bushes, trees, and huge parks. If you reside near one of such regions, they may relocate from their current position to your (warmer) residence.

They favor rural areas. They've been eating soybean and corn all summer, and your house may be getting in the way.

Although naturally a nuisance pest for landowners because of the harm stink bugs inflict to crops and plants, they have become a severe problem for the farming business in the United States.

Stink bugs are known to feed on peaches, apples, corn, citrus fruits, green peppers, tomatoes,  and persimmons, as well as ornamental crops, weeds, and food-producing beans, and soybeans.

Since they feed on plant liquids with their sucking and piercing mouthparts, they permanently harm the crop. In addition, the fruit develops a peculiar deformation known as cat facing, which renders it unmarketable.

Because the stink bug is an invasive species with no natural predators, scientists are working hard to find ways to battle this deadly pest. Corporate farmers aren't the only ones that have to deal with stink bugs.

Where stink bugs are prevalent, organic veg growers have been overwhelmed due to a lack of insecticidal control. In addition, stink bugs have been wreaking havoc on the crops of public gardens and homeowners.

Do stink bugs come from worms?

The odor is the problem that residents who come across this sluggish, armored-looking bug are most familiar with. Stink bugs can produce a foul-smelling, foul-tasting fluid from holes on the edges of their bodies if handled or agitated. Stink bugs are protected from predators by this secretion.

This pest winds up in our houses because they're looking for a safe place to hide from the brutal winter elements like rain and snow. You can call certain pest control services for a free inspection if you have a stink bug difficulty.

Scientists from the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) spotted a tiny wasp, about the size of a period, in the stink bug's indigenous Asian region.

They began testing the wasp in the lab to determine if it would harm native stink bugs or other bugs imported to the United States.

Remember that helpful stink bug species, or other non-vegetarian insects, are extremely useful and should be safeguarded. They eat caterpillars, moths, aphids, and dangerous beetles, as well as other pests and help control them without harming plants and people.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly factsfor everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for 'Where do stink bugs come from?'then why not take a look at 'When do lightning bugs come out?', or 'Stink bug facts'?