Stink Bugs Under Fire Across Region

COLLEGE PARK, MD — In yards across Maryland, an epic battle is going on to wipe out stink bugs.

And the winner isn’t people or chemicals, it’s another foe: the Chinese praying mantis.

The insect loves to dine on stink bug eggs, which is obliterating the region’s population of invasive stink bugs, says Dr. Michael Raupp, a University of Maryland entomologist known as The Bug Guy.

“I think our indigenous good guys here have put the beat down on stink bugs, and I think homeowners and gardeners will enjoy better vegetables and fewer stink bug problems in their gardens this year,” Raupp told WTOP.

Stink bugs – given the apt nickname because of the musty scent they emit when frightened or squashed by humans – have emerged from their winter hibernation.

You’ve probably seen them crawling on your screens or fluttering around your house’s windows. You can’t crush them, because they expel that nasty smell as a defense.

Stink bugs, which have a brown, shield-like body, were first discovered in Allentown, PA in 2001, according to a University of Maryland entomology bulletin. They feed on fruit trees, ornamental plants, vegetables and legumes, and are common throughout the Mid-Atlantic region, especially in the fall, according to experts.

While stink bugs don’t cause any harm to humans, according to UMD, they are a major nuisance.

Besides the ongoing annihilation by the praying mantis, stink bug numbers are culled significantly if we have a hot summer. Maybe there won’t be such an influx come fall as they try to keep warm inside your house.

Here are ten ways to get rid of stink bugs:

1. Use a vacuum cleaner to suck up the bugs - UMD Bulletin.

2. Cut the top of a half gallon or gallon jug, fill it with soapy water and use a piece of cardboard or a napkin to whisk the bugs into the water, which will drown them - UMD Bulletin.

3. Seal up cracks around windows and doors with caulk or weather stripping. - UMD Home and Garden Information Center.

4. Take out window-unit air conditioners; stink bugs can easily get through these. - UMD HGIC.

5. Plant or move fruit trees and vegetable gardens, especially tomato plants, away from your home to prevent stink bugs from landing on the exterior of your home. -UMD HGIC.

6. Squish stink bugs outdoors--the odor warns other stink bugs to flee. - Bayer Advanced insect control.

7. Hang a stink bug trap outside your house to catch them. - UMD Bug Guy, Mike Raupp, YouTube.

8. Hang a damp towel outside your home overnight. In the morning, stink bugs will blanket the towel, and you can use a vacuum or knock them into a jug of soapy water to kill them. - Bayer Advanced

9. Although most insecticides are ineffective against stink bugs, some do work, but the bug must be clearly on the label. Insecticides are never to be used indoors - UMD HGIC

10. Check your attic for holes or gaps and close them up. Stinkbugs often enter through attics - Mike Raupp, UMD Bug Guy.

»PHOTO: Stink bugs are being wiped out by the praying mantis, says a University of Maryland professor. Patch file photo