Brown Marmorated Stinkbug

Q: I found this stinkbug in my house in January, 2010. Is it the brown marmorated stinkbug that has been such a bother in the northeastern U.S.? We have been finding them since last summer.

A: To my eyes, it looks just like a Brown Marmorated Stinkbug (BMSB). I see the characteristic white bands on the antennae. Gardeners and growers in the Northeast have been having a terrible problem with this bug. It feeds on many fruits and vegetables, making them unmarketable. It will become a BIG problem for Georgia gardeners.

Further, the insect aggregates on the sides of homes and buildings in fall and moves inside through cracks under doors and around windows. If you step on one you’ll quickly find out why they are called “stinkbug”.

I was unaware that they had moved this far south but UGA bug expert Dan Suiter says: The BMSB has been confirmed in a couple of sites in Georgia. I don’t know that the numbers have yet to show up on structures like they do in the NE, but that may be coming. There’s a closely related species of stinkbug that looks just like the BMSB. It’s common in the insect world to have dozens of species in the same genus that cannot be differentiated with the naked eye.

Positive identification is best: send samples to your local Extension office (1-800-ASKUGA-1).

The best way to remove them indoors is by sliding a card underneath and squashing them outdoors. If you vacuum them up you’ll have a stinky vacuum cleaner!

Outdoors, any garden insecticide will kill them…you just have to be observant and persistent!

see

BugGuide

Stinkbug Identification

Comparison with Other Stinkbugs

BMSD Control

Pictures of damage

National Clearinghouse of BMSB Information

Host Plants for BMSB