The Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (Halyomorpha halys) is a resilient pest known for invading human structures, especially during autumn. These insects seek shelter to survive periods when food and water are scarce. Survival time depends entirely on the bug’s current physiological state and the environmental conditions it experiences. An active, foraging stink bug has dramatically different resource needs and survival limits compared to one that has entered a dormant phase.
Survival Time in Active Stages
When a Brown Marmorated Stink Bug is actively foraging, its survival without food and water is relatively short, typically lasting only a few days to a couple of weeks. This limited lifespan is a direct result of the high metabolic rate required for movement and reproduction. This rapid depletion of stored energy reserves makes prolonged starvation impossible, especially at moderate room temperatures.
Dehydration is often the most immediate limiting factor for an active stink bug. Unlike their dormant counterparts, active insects are vulnerable to desiccating conditions and attempt to find a water source. Without the ability to rehydrate, the insect’s bodily functions quickly fail, and its short-term survival is measured in days.
The Diapause Advantage
The ability of the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug to survive for many months without feeding or drinking is due to diapause, a biological state of dormancy. This state is triggered by environmental cues, primarily the shortening of daylight hours in late summer and early autumn. Once initiated, the insect’s metabolism slows drastically, reproductive development is arrested, and it survives the entire winter by living off accumulated fat reserves.
During diapause, the expenditure of resources is minimal. Studies show that adult BMSB can be maintained in this state for periods of up to 14 weeks, covering the entire overwintering period. Diapausing bugs are also much more efficient at conserving water, surviving desiccating conditions three to four times longer than active bugs.
How Temperature and Humidity Impact Lifespan
External factors like temperature and humidity significantly alter the survival time of a Brown Marmorated Stink Bug. High temperatures are particularly detrimental because they accelerate the insect’s metabolic rate, causing a faster burn of energy reserves and increasing water loss. Short exposures to temperatures above 40°C can be lethal for adult stink bugs, rapidly ending their lifespan regardless of nutritional status.
Conversely, cooler temperatures help conserve the bug’s energy. Humidity also plays a role in preventing dehydration, a major cause of mortality, by helping active insects conserve moisture. For diapausing individuals, cooler, stable temperatures within sheltered overwintering sites are necessary to maintain the suppressed metabolic state until spring.