Where Do Stink Bugs Come From?​

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In this article, we will answer the question about this insect and give some advice on how to get rid of them.

What are Stink Bugs and do they bite?

The most common species of nuisance stink bugs are the brown marmorated stink bugs. Also known as shield bugs as their bodies are shield-shaped.

Stink bugs are mottled brown, have six legs, wings they can use to fly, and antennae.

Underneath stink bugs, thorax are glands that produce an odor that is released when the stink bugs feel threatened or disturbed by predators, the smell is not good. Hence the name stink bug.

Some species of stink bugs can be up to 0.79 inches long and the same wide.

Do stink bugs bite; are stink bugs dangerous?

The good news is most species of Stink bugs have mouthparts designed to only suck up the juice from the flesh of fruit and vegetables. Therefore they are mostly incapable of biting humans and do not sting or spread disease.

They are mostly herbivores, some are beneficial predators. Neither will suck blood as a food source, unlike other insects like bedbugs and mosquitoes who do bite humans for their blood.

There are; however, some species of predator stink bugs that do bite. The Kudzu stink bugs can bite human skin if threatened, when they bite people the bite is painful, causing a raised swelling.

This species can bite. However, Kudzu bugs are good for the environment eating insects and caterpillars, other stink bugs, and the crop-destroying Mexican bean beetle and the Colorado potato beetle.

How to treat a stink bug bite

Very few stink bugs bite people, there are around 260 different species of stink bugs knowing which type has bitten you is difficult to know.

Avoid handling the stink bugs and the stink bugs will not bite, and seal up entry points to your home with steel wool.

Bites can be treated with soap and water, then apply hydrocortisone cream to relieve itchiness, you can take an antihistamine to relieve symptoms.

Can the Stink bugs cause any other bodily harm?

The odor from the stink bug contains chemicals and can cause allergic reactions and a skin reaction, Rhinitis, and conjunctivitis.

Crushed stink bugs on the skin can cause an allergic reaction called Dermatitis.

Where does the brown marmorated stink bug come from?

The brown marmorated Stink bug originates from China, Japan, and Korea. The Brown marmorated stink bug was accidentally brought into the United States, possibly on a cargo ship in 1998.

The brown marmorated stink bug has now spread further to California, New Jersey, Ohio, and New York in fact these pests are found in 44 different states.

What do stink bugs eat?

The brown marmorated Stink bugs are harmful pests and extremely invasive species. They will eat their way through crops of apples, peaches, pears, soybeans, peppers, tomatoes, and even pecans, to name but a few. Some species of stink bugs will eat other insects.

Stink bugs will eat ornamental plants, bushes, weeds, and flowers.

The stink bugs will leave crops badly damaged, with white, yellow, and green marks making them unsellable to people.

Facts you might not know about stink bugs

• Stink bugs do have predators like predatory stink bugs, assassin bugs, birds, and reptiles, but not enough for them to worry about or to affect the stink bug populations in the United States.

• Stink bugs do not breed in your home.

• Stink bugs can release pheromones to let other bugs know they have found a good winter spot.

• Stink bugs can destroy a crop; they feed on juice inside fruits leaving damage marks on them.

• Stink bugs can release two scents a nasty smell and a pheromone scent.

When are stink bugs active?

The brown marmorated stink bug is mostly active in the summer; these pests can be found feeding on fruits, vegetables, plants, and crops. In the winter months, they hide out under cover.

The female bugs lay eggs underneath leaves in the warmer weather, the eggs hatch into nymphs after around five days. Female stink bugs do not lay eggs in the winter.

By late summer, or early fall, with cold weather on the way the stink bugs prefer to be indoors so they begin looking for somewhere warm and safe, this could be your home!

You may notice large numbers of stink bugs near the windows or on the walls.

Preventing stink bugs

Protecting your home, family, and pets from an insect invasion is important. With that in mind, here are a few of our tips to help you

You can remove the brown marmorated stink bug with a vacuum cleaner. Make sure you empty it straight away to remove stink bugs otherwise, you could be left with a very foul odor.

Check outside of your house for cracks and gaps, the cracks can be filled in with caulk to prevent stink bugs from getting into the house.

Check any vents in crawl spaces and attics they can be covered with a screen.

Take a look at your windows and doors do they have any gaps? Are the screens ok?

If you have tried many things and have not been successful, then you may need to try pesticide pest control products; look for products that contain Pyrethroids (a chemical insecticide).

It is also worth trying sticky traps, they can be used inside and outside of the house.

You can also contact your local branch of pest experts if you are worried. They can devise and implement a method for dealing with these annoying pests.

Stink bug pest control in the yard

Keep tall grass, bramble, and weeds cut away, stink bugs will hide in them, especially if the weather is not so good.

If you have lovely ornamental plants and fruit trees or vegetables growing, place some stink bug traps around the area.

If you have taps dripping or blocked drains, the moisture will attract stink bugs, fix the problem as soon as you can.

Stink bugs are attracted to yellow flowers, you could try planting some away from your plants to encourage the stink bugs to move away.

And finally,

We hope you have found this helpful article,’ Do stink bugs bite?’, the answer of course some stink bugs do bite humans, but not many.

Please take a look at the rest of our website, where you will find a lot of helpful advice and tips on a variety of pest problems.

If you have any questions, please feel free to drop us an email; we do our best to reply as quickly as possible.

Good luck!