That's Halyomorpha Halys. Or the brown marmorated stink bug, to you and me.Until 1996, they were not native to Pennsylvania -- or the United States, for that matter. Somehow they sneaked in.
If you live in an old house in my neck of the woods, with woods being meant more or less literally, you most likely have run into these fellows. They tend to show up in droves as the weather gets cooler, seeking out warm places to hibernate until spring arrives.
The unnerving sound of their erratic flight, a sudden buzzing that almost always ends with an abrupt thwack, is as common as the sight of them. They don't so much land as crash into things -- walls, furniture, you. Probably the reason one finds a lot of them dead.
Whether dead or alive, be cautious in handling them. Their name is well earned. When threatened (or squashed), or insulted, they emit a very disagreeable odor -- like rancid almonds, I have read. So far I have not experienced this first hand. Having been forewarned, I am careful.
Pick them up in a tissue and flush them down the toilet, is my advice. Rehabilitation -- to borrow from Woody Allen -- is out of the question.
5 comments:
We have had stink bugs around here for as long as I can remember and now and then somebody squashes one. The odor is skunk-like in that it sticks around a while and flat-out stinks.
I don't think we have them around here. At least I haven't seen any. Sounds like it's best to avoid them at all costs!
Just a note...
I published a Wheel Bug on my blog. It is related to your bug in the smell department.
I don't think I've seen them before, and I live in an old house in the country.....but now that I know, I'll keep my eye out. Although I want to know what they smell like! haha
good for you Lori, you haven't been infested by stink bugs. because if you seen in and infested in your house it will cause you headache.
Post a Comment