The hits just keep coming, in the form of more uninvited six-legged visitors whose real home is across the waters.
A mass of offensive species has washed over our Caldwell neighborhood Pewaukee and Wisconsin in the past 2 decades: the Japanese beetle and Asian beetle to name a few. All are native to foreign countries. All have caused environmental and economic havoc in the United States, where no natural predators exist to control them.
The latest invader winging its way here will literally make a stink.
The brown marmorated stink bug is ¾-inch long, with a wide back side that tapers to a point, and a rectangular head with long antennae. Native to China and east Asia, the insect has been migrating west since being first discovered in Pennsylvania in 2001.
Its name is well-earned. When disturbed or stepped on, the brown marmorated stink bug emits a strong, nasty you'd invite into your Caldwell house, right?
Fortunately, the brown marmorated stink bug hasn't arrived in large numbers in Caldwell or WI. Stink bug control isn't much of an issue yet. Yet it's only a matter of time.
Farmers abhor them for more than their odor. The stink bug feed on tree fruits, vegetables, sweet corn and soybeans. Mid-Atlantic apple growers sustained an estimated $37 million in crop losses in 2010 to marmorated stink bugs.
The Asian invasive has a cousin that is native to the U.S. The insect looks a lot like the brown marmorated version, except the colors of their undersides are different. We somehow doubt you'll get that far identifying them, though.
Brown marmorated stink bugs like to winter inside Caldwell your house. If you crack one, you'll figure it out quickly. The nose knows. If you see more in your Caldwell house or yard, don't crush them – contact The Mosquito Guy to address their presence in a safe, non-smelly fashion. Unlike these insects, we'll never stink up your joint.