The stink bug has made its way around the eastern United States, including a recent discovery in Ohio.
Though the bug is most known for its foul stench, this invasive species is harmful to a variety of plants. To date it has affected crops in New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, West Virginia, New York, and Massachusetts. It has also been found in crops in California and Oregon.
The bug made its way to America from Chinese shipping containers containing produce. These pests suck the juice out of plants.
Though it’s a small bug, there are no natural predators to the bug in the United States making it difficult to control its spreading. Officials want to control the pest before it becomes a huge problem in the United States.
The likely solution to the problem is release the Chinese Wasp into affected areas. This is the only known predator to the stink bug.
If the pest is not controlled it could kill entire crops in infested areas.
For more information on this subject, contact Farm Plus at 866-929-5585.
Written by: Melissa Warner / Farm Plus staff writer