Community Chat

[PAX]

On 5/7/2014 occasional rain said:

On 5/7/2014 Georgie the 5th said:

On 5/7/2014 Judaline said:

On 5/6/2014 maryebrown said:

They are scary looking, a prehistoric bug w/ armor! They only stink when you smash them (which I don't). DS catches them and sticks them in a jar, to die.

Why not just put them back outside? That sounds sadistic to me.

The stick bug's main goal in life is to live in your house. Putting them outside only only makes them mad as they have been in your house and they like it there. They will return.

Get an education.

Ok. According to you they are harmless.

<h2 style="margin: 1.25em 0px 0.5em; font-size: 1.6875em; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-style: none none solid; border-bottom-color: #cccccc; font-weight: normal; padding: 0px 0px 0.0625em; line-height: 1.25em; letter-spacing: -0.06750000268220901px;"> Damage</h2>

In its native range, it feeds on a wide variety of host plants. Fruits attacked include apples, peaches, figs, mulberries, citrus fruits and persimmons. This true bug has also been reported on many ornamental plants, weeds, soybeans and beans for human consumption. Feeding on tree fruits such as apple results in a characteristic distortion referred to as “cat facing,” that renders the fruit unmarketable as a fresh product.

Apple Damage

This insect is becoming an important agricultural pest in Pennsylvania. In 2010, it produced severe losses in some apple and peach orchards by damaging peaches and apples. It also has been found feeding on blackberry, sweet corn, field corn and soybeans. In neighboring states it has been observed damaging tomatoes, lima beans and green peppers.

Peach and Sweet Corn Damage

These insects are not known to cause harm to humans, although homeowners become alarmed when the bugs enter their homes and noisily fly about. The stink bug will not reproduce inside structures or cause damages. If many of them are squashed or pulled into a vacuum cleaner, their smell can be quite apparent.

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Yes, they are harmless to humans and will not cause damage inside the home. However, I live in a rural area and there is a large apple and peach orchard about 1/2 mile from my home. But I guess you are the expert and I should just put the little darlings back outside to go destroy my neighbor's orchard.

BTW, if you ever say anything like that to me again I promise I will not be so polite.

[Lotus]

They are very new to Long Island.....found my first one last year...maybe saw another one after that.

I found one (big one) on the inside of the glass pane of my bedroom window.....EWWWWWWWW! He was flushed.

They are gross!! They stink and they are ugly.

[nun ya]

You are right Georgie. I remember Soergels lost most of their apple crops.

Every stink bug if it goes through four generations will produce 90,000,” Soergel said.

[lulu2]

The last few days I've found a handful of those ugly creatures. The worst for us seems to be in the fall, when I wash curtains. I guess they are trying to get in out of the cold.

2 years ago they were horrible; last year not so bad. (maybe the hurricane had something to do with that) I find them more frequently at our home in NJ than our apartment in NYC. I have never seen any in Europe.

[songbird]

Some years there are a lot of them. Some years not so many. I haven't seen any yet around the house. I don't smash them either. They stink when you do. I pick them up (with a kleenex) and bury them at sea (in the toilet)

[maryebrown_1]

On 5/7/2014 Judaline said:

On 5/6/2014 maryebrown said:

They are scary looking, a prehistoric bug w/ armor! They only stink when you smash them (which I don't). DS catches them and sticks them in a jar, to die.

Why not just put them back outside? That sounds sadistic to me.

What do you do with flies in your house - shoo them outside?

[maryebrown_1]

On 5/7/2014 Georgie the 5th said:

On 5/7/2014 occasional rain said:

On 5/7/2014 Georgie the 5th said:

On 5/7/2014 Judaline said:

On 5/6/2014 maryebrown said:

They are scary looking, a prehistoric bug w/ armor! They only stink when you smash them (which I don't). DS catches them and sticks them in a jar, to die.

Why not just put them back outside? That sounds sadistic to me.

The stick bug's main goal in life is to live in your house. Putting them outside only only makes them mad as they have been in your house and they like it there. They will return.

Get an education.

Ok. According to you they are harmless.

<h2 style="margin: 1.25em 0px 0.5em; font-size: 1.6875em; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-style: none none solid; border-bottom-color: #cccccc; font-weight: normal; padding: 0px 0px 0.0625em; line-height: 1.25em; letter-spacing: -0.06750000268220901px;"> Damage</h2>

In its native range, it feeds on a wide variety of host plants. Fruits attacked include apples, peaches, figs, mulberries, citrus fruits and persimmons. This true bug has also been reported on many ornamental plants, weeds, soybeans and beans for human consumption. Feeding on tree fruits such as apple results in a characteristic distortion referred to as “cat facing,” that renders the fruit unmarketable as a fresh product.

Apple Damage

This insect is becoming an important agricultural pest in Pennsylvania. In 2010, it produced severe losses in some apple and peach orchards by damaging peaches and apples. It also has been found feeding on blackberry, sweet corn, field corn and soybeans. In neighboring states it has been observed damaging tomatoes, lima beans and green peppers.

Peach and Sweet Corn Damage

These insects are not known to cause harm to humans, although homeowners become alarmed when the bugs enter their homes and noisily fly about. The stink bug will not reproduce inside structures or cause damages. If many of them are squashed or pulled into a vacuum cleaner, their smell can be quite apparent.

-------------

Yes, they are harmless to humans and will not cause damage inside the home. However, I live in a rural area and there is a large apple and peach orchard about 1/2 mile from my home. But I guess you are the expert and I should just put the little darlings back outside to go destroy my neighbor's orchard.

BTW, if you ever say anything like that to me again I promise I will not be so polite.

Thanks, Georgie, for posting this informative info.

[occasionalrain]

On 5/7/2014 maryebrown said:

On 5/7/2014 Judaline said:

On 5/6/2014 maryebrown said:

They are scary looking, a prehistoric bug w/ armor! They only stink when you smash them (which I don't). DS catches them and sticks them in a jar, to die.

Why not just put them back outside? That sounds sadistic to me.

What do you do with flies in your house - shoo them outside?

I don't have flies in my house, the spiders take care of the few that show up.

[Moonlady]

Saw an article about them a couple of years ago, but hadn't seen one. Last year, we did, though not many (3, to be exact). They're startling, maybe because they're so big. I try to think of them as a moth.

Their torpor is their downfall, so they're easy to catch. As for predators, they supposedly don't have any, but they're not counting on me. I use those large multi-purpose wipes from WalMart--they're soft and larger than most, and it was easy to grab them without squashing or feeling them (yuck) through a hard kleenex (that they might slip through). Then I stuffed them in a baggie. Ugh.

BTW, we have an apple orchard directly behind our property. Oh goodie.

[occasionalrain]

If the rural growers continue to use chemicals to kill insects, they won't have to worry about stink bugs because they are killing the bees. No bees, no pollination and no fruit.