Asian Stink Bugs Not As Bad As Expected

[Way Back Jack]

Mid-Atlantic, zone 7

They started looking for winter shelter about a week earlier this year but they weren't nearly as heavy as last year. They were supposed to be worse. One day in late Oct. 2010, I took a stroke tally. Killed over 1,200 in an

8-hr.period, just walking around the house perimeter with a fly swatter, as well as a countless no. vacuumed-up inside the garage that same day. Autumn 2010 was six weeks of hell. Nothing like that this yr., at least so far.

Orchard farmers were allowed to use a limited amt. of pesticide this past summer. Maybe that kept the fall infestation down. Been cooler this Oct. too. On cool, cloudy days, they don't seem to be as active. Maybe stay in their trees longer instead of attacking the house. I don't know.

[Frank]

Not much difference as far as I could tell. Maybe they've maxed out in the area. I did not plant peppers this year as stink bugs poking at them had mottled them and size was lower last year. They also appeared worse on tomatoes this year with effect similar to peppers.

Stink bugs do you a slight favor by showing you where you need to caulk around windows.

I vacuum them up with a dust buster and toss in a bucket of soapy water to drown them.