Why stink bugs are taking over the Eastern U.S.

If you live anywhere near the Eastern United States, you’ve probably noticed an increased number of stink bugs over the past few years.

Known by scientists as Halyomorpha halys, the brown marmorated stink bug is an insect native to China, Japan and Taiwan that was accidentally introduced into the United States in the late 1990s and has quickly become a serious pest to farmers, homeowners and the fragile eco-system of the Appalachian Mountains.

The bug, which receives its name for its ability to emit an odor through holes in its abdomen when it feels threatened or attempts to find a mate, invades homes in the fall in order to hibernate through winter; however, once inside, the warmth inside houses often causes them to become active during their winter hibernation — leading the invasive bug to fly clumsily around light fixtures.

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Photo by Susan Ellis, Bugwood.org