DETROIT – Researchers at Michigan State University are asking residents to report sightings of brown marmorated stink bugs which are known to feed on fruit, vegetable and ornamental crops.
Here's what the bugs look like:
Recommended Videos
Caption: Brown marmorated stink bugs have dark and light banding along the margin of the insect’s body and white bands on its antennae and legs. Photo by Jeff Wildonger, USDA ARS BIIR
The bugs get their unusual name from the pungent smell that comes after one is injured or killed and most stink bugs creep into warm homes during winter and look for a way out once Spring arrives.
How to report stink bug sightings
If you see a stink bug anywhere -- outside or inside -- and you are outside what researchers have established as the area where the bugs are well-established in Michigan (see map below), you should report it to the Midwest Invasive Species Information Network -- go here.
Here's the map showing the current extent of the brown marmorated stink bugs in Michigan:
"At this time of year in their native habitat, BMSB would normally look for shelter in south facing rocky outcroppings and other protected areas. The perfect surrogate turns out to be south-facing walls of man-made structures. It is important to note that BMSB do not bite humans or their pets – they are strictly plant-feeding insects. Also, they do not nest or reproduce in homes, they are simply finding a place to take shelter from the cold and will atempt to find their way out again when spring returns," Michigan State researchers write.
Experts say you can prevent Stink Bugs from entering your home by sealing up cracks around doors and windows.
Why should you report stink bugs in Michigan?
Researchers say these stink bugs can start as pests in homes and businesses and become "an important agricultural pest for neighboring growers."
Michigan State University tracks the location of stink bug populations because they tend to feast on Michigan’s cash crops.
"(Stink bugs) feed on a number of important fruit, vegetable and ornamental crops. Where it has been established for some time, it is now a major pest for growers of susceptible crops," researchers say.
The Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (BMSB): Information for Michigan Residents on a New Home Invader:
The Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (BMSB): Information for Michigan Residents on a New Home Invader: by Clickon Detroit on Scribd