Thursday, January 8, 2009

Enough Already!

See these guys...

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I have found 3 of them today... just TODAY...

We usually find 3 or 4 every week - some are dead but most are alive - just really cold and motionless - usually laying on their backs.  I scooted one onto my hand one day so that I could toss him in the toilet and as he warmed up he started moving.  He Went Swimming.  Warm sunny days seems to bring them out and about.

This is the kind of bug that I felt really sorry about killing back earlier in the summer... such a drama he put on.  Well my sympathy is fairly thin these days... they go in the toilet or out the door - good riddance.

In my research this is what I've found...

"The brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys, is a fairly new species imported from the Far East (e.g., Taiwan, Japan, Korea) which was first discovered in Allentown, Pa., in 2001. It has subsequently been found in New Jersey. It is an ornamental and agricultural pest, which like some stink bug species, find homes and buildings an attractive place to overwinter. Seeing stink bugs inside on warm winter days is not uncommon. As this species begins to spread, its prominence as an overwintering structural pest will increase."

I usually refer to them as dinosaur bugs... they are clumsy and dumb and slow.... and annoying as all get out.

3 comments:

Bon said...

Yuk. Do they really stink?

smiledarlin said...

When we took down the Christmas tree box, they were inside on the branches... as we put up the tree they would drop to the carpet: where the dogs would then torment and finally kill by rolling on them.

They are such a pest!!!

Any idea what to use to kill them? I wonder if Diatomaceous Earth would work on them?

Howdy said...

Bon - I haven't noticed any smell... even from the one that was accidently squashed this summer. I don't squash them as I don't want to take a chance on them smelling.

As far as how to kill them - my understanding is that's it's better to prevent them from taking up residence in the house by sealing cracks and using insect screens. One comment I read suggests using some kind of light trap if necessary... and one comment had said that if you use an insecticide the smell of the dead bugs will attract others for the feast and you'll have more problems on your hands.

I'm gonna need better screens next summer!