Stink bugs are insects recognized by their distinctive shield-shaped bodies, which can vary in color from mottled grayish-brown to green. They are prevalent in various regions and are known for emitting a strong, unpleasant odor when disturbed or crushed. This defensive mechanism, produced from glands on their abdomen, deters predators and has been compared to the smell of cilantro or coriander.
What Stink Bugs Eat
Stink bugs are primarily herbivores, using specialized piercing-sucking mouthparts to feed on a wide variety of plants, fruits, and vegetables. They insert these mouthparts into plant tissues, injecting saliva to aid digestion and extract plant juices and nutrients. This feeding can cause significant damage to agricultural crops and ornamental plants.
Their diet includes economically important crops such as corn, soybeans, tomatoes, peppers, apples, peaches, and cotton. When feeding on fruits like apples or peaches, their piercing can result in discoloration, spots, or “cat-facing” deformities as the fruit develops. On other plants, their feeding can lead to physical and chemical damage, causing symptoms like yellowing, twisting, or stunting of leaves and stalks. This can reduce crop yields and even kill young seedlings.
Where Stink Bugs Live
During their active seasons, generally from spring through fall, stink bugs prefer outdoor habitats rich in vegetation. They are commonly found in gardens, agricultural fields, orchards, and wooded areas where food sources are abundant. They often congregate on plants that provide ample sunlight and warmth, facilitating their activity and development.
Host plants include various trees, shrubs, and ornamental plants, with a preference for those bearing reproductive structures like fruits, buds, and pods. Newly hatched nymphs may initially feed on weeds and grasses before moving to other cultivated plants as they mature. Their populations are most abundant from April to June.
Why Stink Bugs Enter Homes
Stink bugs primarily enter homes for overwintering shelter, a seasonal migration triggered by dropping temperatures in late fall. This behavior, a form of insect hibernation called diapause, means they become inactive and do not feed or reproduce. They seek warmth and protection from cold until spring.
Homes provide ideal overwintering sites, offering nooks and crannies, particularly in attics, basements, wall voids, and behind baseboards. Stink bugs are attracted to warm, sunny spots, such as south-facing walls, and may release aggregation pheromones to attract others. They gain entry through small openings, including cracks, crevices, and gaps around foundations, windows, doors, and utility pipes.