Brown Marmorated Stink Bug
Invasive pests are spreading rapidly in this country due to human activities attributed to Globalization. By importing goods from other countries, many unwanted pests stowaway in packaging and make their way into our communities. These invaders come in the form of plants, animals, bugs, reptiles and even pathogens. These critters can do damage to our ecosystem. They can destroy food crops, create health issues for humans, and wipe out our indigenous plants and animals.
One of these little invaders is the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (BMSB). The BMSB was first sighted in the U.S. in 1998, in Pennsylvania, and it is rapidly spreading throughout the country. Its long journey started in East Asia. BMSB has become a serious pest of fruits, vegetables and farm crops in the Mid-Atlantic region, and it is believed that they will eventually harm crops in other parts of the country.
Warmer temperatures bring this little stinker out foraging for food and then later seek warmth, by penetrating cracks and crevices and finding its way into your home. The BMSB is becoming so much of a problem that the Daily Mail, in the United Kingdom, did a report about our foul, but determined little travelers. It apparently releases an odor when it is threatened. The smell is so bad that smashing it, in my opinion, is completely out of the question, but if you must smash it make sure it's not with your shoe. The smell lingers and is nauseating. I thought with the unusually cold temperatures this winter that the BMSB would freeze to death, but apparently that wasn't the case. Once the temperatures got above freezing it reared its ugly head once again.
I've had enough and I'm going to find a way to destroy all of them, preferably without chemicals. So in the words of the infamous Daffy Duck, "Of course you realize, this means war." So, what can be done to destroy this unwanted settler? Here's some ideas that "ORKIN Pest Control" suggests:
- Inspect the outside of your home checking for cracks around windows and doors.
- Seal the cracks with caulk.
- Seal areas around pipes and cables that enter the home.
- Screen attic and crawl spaces
- Torn or damaged window screens should also be repaired.