Stink bug life stages
Warren Wong, an entomologist at the University of British Columbia (UBC), recently spoke with The Weather Network about stink bugs. He says after stink bugs enter people’s homes in the fall, they try to hibernate through the winter, using fat reserves to survive.
“In the spring – they come out and feed on anything that’s around, [and] In the summer – they are out feeding on more mature plants, including our crops. This is when they mate, lay eggs,” he says.
Damage to agriculture
The marmorated stink bug feeds on about 170 species of plants, namely agricultural crops, posing a risk to farmers. In 2010, they decimated apple crops in the Mid-Atlantic United States, resulting in $37 million (U.S.) in damages.
Wong says Canada’s agricultural crops have largely been spared from stink bug damage, in part due to our colder winters.
But stink bugs reproduce at a rate of about two generations per year. If the weather continues to warm and extend seasons, there is potential for a third generation, which means population numbers will steadily increase in the fall, when apple crops are ready for harvest.
Efforts to control stink bugs are ongoing, but you can make your home less appealing to them by:
Cleaning and vacuuming regularly.
Removing crumbs from counters and the floor.
Storing food in air-tight containers.
Sealing cracks and openings in windows, doors, and walls.
Fixing leaky faucets and cracks in your plumbing.
Removing moisture with a dehumidifier.
This report was produced by Kevin Clarke.