Brown Marmorated Stink Bug Pest Control

Introduction

• Scientific name is: Halyomorpha halys
• Named for its defense mechanism of spraying an odorous liquid when threatened
• Originally from China, Taiwan, Korea, and Japan.
• Has become a season long pest in the United States as it invades homes and feeds on crops.

Identification

• Grow to a half inch in length
• Have a shield shaped body, and one pair of wings.
• Are various shades of brown in color

Mannerisms of Brown Marmorated Stink Bugs

• Eat crops such as peaches, apples, soybeans, green beans, cherries, raspberries, and pears.
  • Feed by using a proboscis that can lead to the formation of necrotic areas, seed loss, leaf stippling, and the transmission of plant pathogens.
• Invade homes in the fall to survive the winter.
• Can live several months up to a year.
• Release a pungent odor that reportedly smells like coriander when threatened, injured, or handled.
• Males use pheromones and vibrational signals to communicate with a female.
• Females can lay up to four hundred eggs in their lifetime.

Prevention

• Sealing up any entryways like cracks around doors, vents, and crawlspaces.
• Liquid pest control products can be applied along the outside of homes. These may need to be reapplied at certain times.
• Vacuuming them and anywhere they may be hiding is also an effective means of stink bug pest control.