There's a New Bug in Town: Stink Bugs Invading Crops

There's a New Bug in Town: Stink Bugs Invading Crops

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They are small, maybe the size of your fingernail, but they could cause huge economic damage.

We're talking about stink bugs.

It eats just about every crop. And in some parts of Western Maryland, they've caused massive damage.

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These are simply put the most destructive, invasive, horrendous insect I've personally ever seen. In my area people are vacuuming them out of their homes and outbuildings by the thousands.
We keep shop vacs plugged in to 100' extension cords, one inside and one outside! So far we've been told to spray them with laundry detergent water, nicotine tea, dish liquid water, and nothing seems to work. The only thing we've found that knocks them for a loop is Antibacterial Windex (the orange/yellow one).

Its so bad here that if you open the door and step outside you are bombarded by about 50 or so. They seem to be attracted to lighter colors, though I've seen my husband's shop wall coated with thousands and it's dark grey.

Our garden was decimated this year with all five stages of this ugly invasive pest. And it continues to get worse year by year. Rather than move on they just spread. I expect that within ten years the entire eastern half of the US will be over run!

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reply to post by SeenMyShare


nixie_nox has been invaded by them recently... Maybe she can come on to this thread and share how bad it has been.

Here is a link for identification of the five stages of the brown marmorated stink bug. This bug is a native of China and was first identified in the United States in Allentown, PA in 2001.

Rutgers University: Brown Marmorated Stink Bug

Eggs:


Stage One:


Stage Four:


Stage Five - Adult Female:


Stage Five - Adult Male:



If you see any of these you need to act aggressively to get them under control. Seal off every access point, crack, crevice, nook and cranny in your home!

We have been invaded by them really bad here in Virginia. In the last week we have killed and vaccumed up around 1500 hundred of them on our back screened in deck. We finally had someone in the family come over and spray 6 gallons of pesticide.

I noticed a couple of weeks ago as my garden was starting to fizzle out that it had been taken over by stink bugs!!! There were adults, baby ones and larvae everywhere in it! We had to just destroy the entire area and any plants that were still going strong. It was absolutely disgusting!!

We've had some get in the house but the biggest problem has been on the back deck. It has been totally unusable for the last week or so. The bugs are like little armored warriors, and the have no natural enemies. Even when you spray them it takes a little while before the appear affected. Then they will lay on their backs for a few days and still move their legs!! I was searching for some info on the internet and found that they are native to Asia and in some countries like Mexico they are considered a delicacy and they eat them because they taste like cinnamin!!!! I have decided I am going to throw a FIESTA and have an all you can eat buffet!!!

Cinnamon yea right I learned at a young age to check my black berrys before I stuck one in my mouth those things are nasty.

Any way had a few spring / summer that killed my black berrys so no wine for me this year until my muscadine
wine gets done working off in a few more weeks.

reply to post by Starseed32

Starseed, I've already told my husband that even if I were starving to death and there were a plate full of stinkbugs I would STARVE!!

They seem to congregate on one side of a building more than any other. On my husband's shop they congregate on the west side. They congregate on the north side of the house. We have apple orchards all around us and they are doing a number on the fruit! A few miles away they've totally destroyed the peaches. I got very little produce from my garden. There was not one zucchini, cucumber or tomato left unscathed. The first batch of corn missed the onslaught, but the second crop failed miserably.

I hate them!! I can't stress that enough. It's so bad that when one lands on me I throw whatever is in my hand. So far I've thrown the vacuum hose, a glass, an open bottle of cleaner, and a bottle with an inch of liquid to drop the little buggers into. It's gotten so bad my stepson dreamed I had a kitchen knife in my hand and one landed on me. He said he dreamed I threw it and it stuck him Poor kid!

I'm in Upstate NY and I see them everywhere! They look so strange almost like they have a shield on lol. I had no idea what they were until a few days ago, they really are taking over. There's actually one on my screen right now as I type this!
They don't survive the winter so we'll have to wait it out lol
I did find this though
organic.lovetoknow.com...

Here's a list of common, easy to find plants, herbs and flowers that, when planted in and around your garden will act as a natural and organic stink bug repellent: Marigold – Try planting a border of marigold's around your garden. Radish – Many garden pests, including stink bugs don't like the smell of radishes. Catnip – This will work best if you don't have an outdoor cat. Mint – Easy to grow, hardy and needs minimal attention to thrive. Garlic – Many garden pests also hate the smell of garlic. Tansy – Pretty yellow flower from the Aster family.

reply to post by chyeaaitskristyn

I can personally debunk the mint thing. My mint (and the house behind it) is crawling with the evil little beasts! I have spearmint, peppermint, wild mint and chocolate mint and they like it all.

Edit to add: They do survive the winter. That's how the infestation is worse the next year. They also come out of the woodwork in your house all winter long.

reply to post by SeenMyShare


EEEK! Oh no! I don't wanna share my house with them!
I have a red ear slider turtle and he eats EVERYTHING! When I find those nasty little stinkers they are going straight into his tank!

Originally posted by chyeaaitskristyn
I did find this though
organic.lovetoknow.com...

Here's a list of common, easy to find plants, herbs and flowers that, when planted in and around your garden will act as a natural and organic stink bug repellent: Marigold – Try planting a border of marigold's around your garden.

I think maybe the reason for the discrepancy in why these suggestions don't work is they might apply to the stink bugs that are native to the US? and perhaps not the invaders from China? Just a guess.

Anyway I presume it has natural enemies in China but perhaps not in the USA, if it gets bad enough here the USA might be persuaded to allow importing some of the China stinkbug's natural enemies, though they could create even more problems so that would be a last resort.

reply to post by SeenMyShare


what laundry detergent? 40 mule team borax will eat thru egg shells so new generartions can't spawn, but that doesn't help if they're blowing in with the wind

Here's a list of common, easy to find plants, herbs and flowers that, when planted in and around your garden will act as a natural and organic stink bug repellent: Marigold – Try planting a border of marigold's around your garden. Radish – Many garden pests, including stink bugs don't like the smell of radishes. Catnip – This will work best if you don't have an outdoor cat. Mint – Easy to grow, hardy and needs minimal attention to thrive. Garlic – Many garden pests also hate the smell of garlic. Tansy – Pretty yellow flower from the Aster family.

Planting a border of marigolds didn't help rid the stink bugs in my garden. They destroyed all my squash and eggplant. Only thing they left alone was the peppers and some tomato plants. I've been catching them with a tissue and flushing them done the toilet when they get in the house. There must have been around 10 in my bathroom today!

Oi, I just bought a house in June... guess what I've started seeing lately?! Stink Bugs!

The lil buggers are on my curtains every night when I go to close up at night.

First it was just 1, then maybe 2 or 3.. the next night it was like 7!

Now during the day I see them around the house, and on the outside of windows.

I don't have actual screens in my windows, just screening held on with magnets, wondering if this is how they are getting in!?!


Was upstairs today, and took down the package of toilet paper, and one fell on me, of course, I threw the package down, and left it to my other half to get him out, but UGH!!!

Here's to hoping this isn't an all the time thing here.

*kicks stinkbugs*

reply to post by undo

Ok I tried the laundry detergent (lavender scented Gain) but I figured something out. The reason it works is that it coats the stinkbug................. and anything you hit............. with a film of detergent. I do NOT recommend laundry detergent!

The smell of these creatures is outright NASTY!

We have had them here in eastern europe always, and luckily this year was no exception in the amount of them. I encountered some five stinkbugs during this year.

Ok, so here we are headed into the second week of November in Maryland and we are still waging war with these invasive, alien pests! Is there anyone else who still is having a horrible time with them?

Our best defense is the good old shop vac! We suck them up, take them outside, dump them in a barrel and burn them! There are a few left outside. They outlasted even the last of my tomatoes and peppers, but where they were able to find a nook or a cranny in the exterior of the house they are now seeking passage into the house. I find a few each day. I'm really tired of these critters!

Well, it’s that time of year again!

I’ve been researching ways to organically protect my vegetable plants and found some interesting suggestions I thought I’d share. Please post your findings as well and maybe we can find a way to save our gardens from these nuisances.


Stinkbugs are highly attracted to the color yellow so don’t plant sunflowers in garden. I plant marigolds around my border. Maybe I'll try planting the darker orangy brown variety. The smell tends to keep the animals away.


Solution to spray on plants:

“ Nicotine will also kill stink bugs when sprayed on them. To make your own spray crush up about 10 cigarettes in a half gallon of water and let it sit over night. Strain the solution through some cheesecloth saving the liquid and adding a teaspoon of dish soap to it. This can be sprayed on plants and it will kill stink bugs quickly, just be sure to thoroughly wash any edibles you get it on and to not get it on yourself. Insecticidal soaps will also work on stink bugs but be careful if you try to use regular liquid soaps. Some dish washing or hand soaps can be too strong and can burn plants.” quote


www.ehow.com...

Oh dear, sounds like you are having a rough time with them.
I don't think we get stink bugs here in the UK - though we do have our own varietys of armour plated beasties that resemble them (adult stages).
Suppose the best you can do is carry on with the hoovering, burning & spraying. I feel for you though, it must be a soulbreaking constant task.