Fun Stink Bug Facts For Kids

Stink bugs are also called shield bugs or the East Asian smell bug. They were first seen in Allentown of the United States, PA, in the fall of 1996 and they immediately expanded east towards New Jersey. These stink bugs smell unpleasant when they are threatened or when you squash them, as well as when the stink bugs are securing their homes. The bug's local reach today incorporates China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and other Asian regions.

Stink bugs have piercing-sucking mouthparts, straight antennae with light brown bands, and a characteristic shield shape. Despite plenty of misconceptions about stink bug bites, the Asian stink bug doesn't bite. They also don't tend to harm people or pets, nor do they spread disease. Despite this, they can be highly irritating, so many people use stink bug repellent that is safe and effective to get rid of stink bugs.

Stink bugs are known to be economic pests that affect many agricultural crops and are also known as one of the most difficult pests to control in different crops. Farmers have to look for many different ways of pest management when attempting agricultural pest control and protecting their crops from stinkbugs!

If you want to learn more about the stink bug, read on! Check out our guides to the yellow jacket wasp and the mud dauber wasp too, to learn about some more insects.

What type of animal is a stink bug?

Stink bugs are insects that are considered pests across the globe. They give out an unpleasant odor.

What class of animal does a stink bug belong to?

Stink bugs belong to the class Insecta and the family Pentatomidae.

How many stink bugs are there in the world?

There are around 900 genera and over 4700 species.

Where does a stink bug live?

In cold weather, stink bugs seek shelter to spend the winter in a dormant phase known as diapause. They often gather on the sides of houses in summer.

What is a stink bug's habitat?

Stink bug populations can be found in orchards, gardens, and farms, and even in houses!

Who do stink bugs live with?

This pest, the adult brown marmorated stink bug, is solitary.

How long does a stink bug live?

Stink bugs live for six to eight months.

How do they reproduce?

They become active from March through to September (then spend winter hiding away). Males and females mate during spring, with the female laying eggs, which develop into nymphs, and then adult stink bugs. Stink bugs don't reproduce inside homes.

What is their conservation status?

These adult stink bug pests that are native to Asia are classified as Least Concern.

What do stink bugs look like?

These stink bugs are described as both oval-shaped, large insects and shield-shaped insects.

How cute are they?

Stink bugs are not cute, in fact, they are regarded as pests.

How do they communicate?

One of the most interesting brown marmorated stink bug facts is that they communicate by moving their abdomens. In doing this, they vibrate plants beneath them and this allows them to communicate.

How big is a stink bug?

Stink bugs are up to 0.67-0.78 in (1.7-2 cm) big.

How fast can stink bugs move?

They can move very fast for small bugs, at the rate of 6.7 mph (10.78 kph).

How much does a stink bug weigh?

Their weight is 0.56-1.10 lb (67.1-11.5 mg).

What are their male and female names of the species?

There are many species of stink bugs, with more than 200 species alone in North America. Brown marmorated shield bugs are known as Halyomorpha halys, and green shield bugs are called Chinavia hilaris. Males and females do not have different specific names.

What would you call a baby stink bug?

The babies of stink bugs are called nymphs.

What do they eat?

Stink bugs eat fruits, vegetables, apples, peaches, blackberries, tomatoes, corn, soybeans, lima beans, green peppers, ornamental plants, and flowers.

Are they harmful?

They are harmful as they destroy plenty of crops that humans and other animals depend on.

Would they make a good pet?

Stink bugs would not make good pets. Stink bugs smell strongly so are not pleasant to be around. They damage doors and other wooden materials during fall and winter as they make their stink bug nest

Did you know...

Brown marmorated stink bugs are native to Asia and were accidentally introduced to America. The fight to rid homes and farms of these pests is an ongoing battle as stink bug populations have exploded and can currently be found in nearly every state of the USA and in several provinces in Canada.

Females lay 20-30 clusters of lightweight, yellow in color, elliptical-shaped eggs on the undersides of leaves. They typically produce one or two clusters of stink bug eggs each year in cool climates; however, they can produce up to five clusters annually in hotter climates.

Freshly hatched nymphs have red eyes, and their abdomen is dappled with red and black. Older nymphs are much darker, and they have white and black bands all over their antennae and legs. A stink bug nymph does not have wings.

There is no such thing as a stink bug bite as luckily these brown marmorated stink bugs do not bite humans.

Stink bugs can be seen in more than one color, have you ever seen a black stink bug? Or maybe a brown stink bug? They are often found near fruit trees or hiding in doors and windows during fall.

Why are they called stink bugs?

One of the best brown marmorated stink bug facts for kids is that these invasive pests get their names from the very unpleasant odor they produce when they feel threatened! They also produce this odor if we squash them or simply to help them feel more secure in their homes. It is thought that the odor assists in protecting the bugs against predators. The stink bugs create this smell by the production of smelly chemicals.

How to get rid of stink bugs?

To get rid of stink bugs, start by analyzing all possible entry points to your home and fixing any small openings. Check doors and windows outside and seal up any potential entrance points. Since stink bugs are also attracted to light, so you can consider changing out outside lights for yellow bulbs or sodium-fume lights, which are known to be less 'attractive' to these creepy crawlies.

If it is too late and the stink bugs are already in your home, a straightforward mix of boiling water, dish cleanser, and white vinegar are believed to be a viable stink bug 'trap' and is one way to catch them. You can also spray a mixture of liquid detergent and water to kill stink bugs in the home and hopefully get rid of that awful stink bug smell. However, it is worth noting that many people advise homeowners not to kill stink bugs if they are suffering from a stink bug infestation, as when they die these pests will release chemical smells that will attract other bugs to the exact location. This is an important part of the stink bug life cycle that helps to ensure the survival of this invasive species and makes pest control very difficult!

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other insects, including the house centipede, or the yellow sac spider.

You can even occupy yourself at home by drawing one on our stink bug coloring pages.