A few weeks ago I wrote about the infestations of bedbugs that are seemingly catching a ride in every suitcase in the country. And then this morning I opened the paper to read about stinkbugs!
On the bright side stinkbugs are harmless – they don’t bite, they don’t sting and they don’t carry harmful diseases. They DO reek havoc on fruits and vegetables and ornamental shrubs and trees.
Stinkbug
But the Washington Post noted “There is no easy way to kill lots of the bugs at once. They have no natural predators in the United States. Pesticides don’t work effectively. The insects travel easily – hitching rides on buses and construction material – and adapt to winter in homes.
As a result, they have flourished, spreading to 29 states since they arrived in Allentown, Pa., in 2001, likely stowaways in a shipping container from Asia. They are native to Japan, Korea and China, where they are known as “stinky big sisters.”
Experts say homeowners should prevent them from coming indoors by sealing cracks and openings around doors and windows.
For more, click here. In the meantime, I’m going to start caulking.
Michael