If you had trouble with stink bugs in the fall, get ready for another onslaught of these thumbnail-size insects. Warmer weather is causing stink bugs to emerge from their overwintering hiding places. Monmouth County, NJ residents can expect to start finding these insects sitting on walls or crawling across floors as they seek a way back outdoors to feed and breed after their winter hibernation.
Dull brown or gray and shield-shaped, brown marmorated stink bugs are common agricultural and garden pests in Monmouth and Ocean counties, New Jersey. An invasive Asian transplant with no natural predators in the U.S., brown marmorated stink bugs have spread to 33 states and are responsible for billions of dollars in lost and damaged fruit and vegetable crops every year. Catastrophic losses to Atlantic state fruit crops last year prompted the USDA to increase efforts to combat these pests, according to the Washington Post.
Stink bugs are a particular problem for Monmouth County homeowners in the fall when they seek shelter from the cold in the attics and wall voids of homes. These insects become a problem again in the spring when they emerge from their hiding places to return to the outdoors. This winter’s extreme cold made stink bugs a surprising winter problem for many Ocean County homeowners as the cold forced the insects to flee soffits, attics, window frames and exterior wall voids for warmer shelter inside homes.
If you find a stink bug inside your home, sweep it up and deposit it outside. Never squash a stink bug. They come by their name honestly and the nasty odor they emit lingers. The best way to protect your Monmouth County home from invasive seasonal pests is with an Allison Pest Control Home Pest Protection Plan. Visit our website for complete details.