What does stink bugs look like

Adult stink bugs can reach almost 2 cm in length. They are almost as wide as they are long. Their legs extend from the sides, so this makes the adult bugs look even larger than they really are. Immature stink bugs, called nymphs, are very tiny when they hatch from their eggs.

As they develop, the nymphs molt or shed their skin five times. Each time it molts, the nymph becomes larger. By the last molt, the nymphs are almost as large as adult stink bugs. Adult stink bugs are good fliers and fold their wings on top of their body when they land. Nymphs do not have fully developed wings. The wings appear when the nymph becomes an adult. Fully developed wings are a way to identify adult stink bugs. Carpenter Ants. Stink bugs are insects that can be found year-round in the New Jersey and Pennsylvania area.

They become peskier when the weather cools down in late August and early September as they move indoors to seek shelter and warmth. Throughout NJ and PA, the most abundant stink bug is the brown marmorated stink bug which you can see pictured below.

This stink bug was found on the outside of the Cooper Pest Solutions headquarters building. What do stink bugs look like? Stink bugs are often mistaken as kissing bugs and vice versa. It can be easy to differentiate the two if you know what physical features to look for. Where do stink bugs live? In the wild, stink bugs live anywhere they can maintain their diet of fruits and other plants such as apples, figs, peaches, soybeans, citrus fruits, weeds, and mulberries.

Peach fields and other crops are perfect breeding grounds for stink bug activity. At the end of the summer, stink bugs make their way into human-made structures such as residential homes, living within wall voids to keep warm all winter long. What is the difference between stink bugs and kissing bugs? While there have been some sightings of kissing bugs in NJ and PA the past few years, currently, kissing bugs are not a significant pr oblem or cause for concern in our area.

In your day to day routine, it is highly unlikely that you will encounter a kissing bug. While kissing bugs may be confused with stink bugs, because of their similar features and size, the differences in the two pests are described below. All of the U. Unlike stink bugs, kissing bugs can bite.

Their bite is not known to be very painful because they want to go undetected while they suck blood from the faces of their victims. Because of this behavior, kissing bugs are known to spread Chagas disease. Symptoms and complications of Chagas disease can be swelling of the eyelid a common place to find bites , vomiting, fatigue, and fever. They might be yellow or red, but eventually turn green. Females deposit eggs in clusters of 30 to 50 at a time.

The baby stink bugs hatch after only a few days and begin eating plant material. This can cause significant damage to gardens as well as house plants when the infestation is indoors. Adult stink bugs are also commonly spotted around light fixtures, on draperies, or crawling along walls.

One of the most telling signs of an overwintering stink bug infestation occurs on warmer winter days, when the pests emerge from their hiding places in the home to congregate on indoor walls.

Removing a stink bug infestation from the home can be accomplished with a vacuum cleaner. Crushing the bugs releases their unpleasant odour, but vacuum cleaners eliminate the potency of the smell. Locating and sealing the point of entry is also an important component of stink bug removal. For particularly serious infestations, call a pest management professional who will use appropriate tactics to control the infestation.

The best way to prevent a stink bug infestation is to eliminate access to the home. In order to do this, cracks in the foundation should be sealed with caulk or a similar substance, and damaged screens should be replaced in windows and doors. Homeowners should also check siding, utility pipes and chimneys for cracks and seal off the openings appropriately. Additionally, trimming down outdoor vegetation may discourage stink bugs from inhabiting yards and consequently moving into homes.

Stink bugs are active during spring and summer, and migrate into homes and buildings around September and October to overwinter. The insects often seek shelter in tree bark, weeds, and similar outdoor environments during the warmer months.

Stink bugs are plant feeders; they feed on a broad variety of fruits, vegetables, plants, and trees. The typical stink bug diet includes legumes, peppers, tomatoes, corn, snap beans, apples, peaches, figs, mulberries, oranges, grapefruits, lemons, persimmons, berries, grapes, soybeans, elm trees, and oaks. Developing by way of gradual metamorphosis, stink bugs hatch from eggs and subsist as nymphs before reaching adulthood.