Pest Library
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All it takes is one pest sighting to ruin the reputation you’ve worked so hard to build.
BROWN MARMORATED STINK BUG
Halyomorpha halys
Stink bugs love heat, and when the temperatures decrease and the days grow shorter during fall, they seek warmer locations — which might mean invading your business. First they take up temporary residence in your insulated walls. Then, when winter brings freezing temperatures, the bugs move into the warmth of the indoors. Once inside, their goal is to overwinter, meaning they will remain until spring arrives, and they come in groups. Stink bugs release a chemical aggregation pheromone that attracts other stink bugs to the area. While stink bugs do not sting, bite or cause structural damage, they do emit a characteristic odorous smell.
RISK LEVEL:
LOW
MEDIUM
HIGH
Risk is defined as how much damage each pest can be to you, your family, or your home
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| Class: | Order: | Family: | |
| Insecta | Hemiptera | Pentatomidae | |
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| Size: | Nymph sizes range from 1/8 inch to the size of the adults as the insect grows and molts. The adults are approximately 5/8 inch long. |
| Color: | Mottled brownish grey color |
| Characteristics: | Antennal segments include a white band. Also, several of their abdominal segments protrude from beneath the wings and are alternatively banded with black and white. Their underside is white, sometimes with grey or black markings, and legs are brown with faint white banding. People have commented on the bug's rather pungent odor when picked up or vacuumed. |
| Geographic Range: | The native home of this insect is in Asia, but in 1996 the insect was first reported in the Allentown, PA area. Since that time, stink bugs have been steadily spreading and are now found throughout Western's area of operation. |
| Food: | Host plants include maple, serviceberry, birch, butterfly bush, pepper, pecan, catalpa, hackberry, redbud, citrus, dogwood, cucumber, tomatoes, fig, sunflower, honeysuckle, tomato, apple, plum, pear, rose, lilac, linden, viburnum and grape. |
| Biology: | Toward the end of September, shorter days and decreasing temperatures cause adult stink bugs to seek overwintering sites. They tend to congregate in large numbers, invading buildings and becoming a nuisance. During this time, they do not feed or reproduce. In fact, females are incapable of reproducing until early spring. When the weather warms, the bugs emerge and lay eggs in June and July, which are 1/16 of an inch and pale green. Most egg masses have about 25 eggs. Nymphs develop to adulthood within about two months. |
- Stink bugs are often found indoors around lights, hanging on draperies or crawling on the walls.
- Stink bugs enter through chimneys, poorly attached window frames, torn screens, gaps near pipes or cables, loose siding, poorly fit garage doors, or gaps around air conditioners.
- Stink bugs are often found on the southern and southwestern sides of a building's exterior.
- Eggs are often laid on the underside of leaves and are light green in color.