New stink bug invades Elkhart County

October 21, 2010|By Chad Damp (damp@wsbt.com)

(WSBT/Chad Damp)

ELKHART COUNTY — It's an unwanted guest and its invading Elkhart County homes – A new kind of stink bug never before seen in Indiana is now here.

The state has dealt with its share of invasive insects. The emerald ash borer, Asian gypsy moth and most recently bed bugs, to name a few. But a new name is being added to the list of unwanted pests.

It's called the brown mamorated stink bug. A bug no bigger than a half-inch long, but becoming a huge problem for homeowners.

"We were keeping the window open and letting the fresh air in, but they get in between the screen and the window,” said Eileen Miller, who’s home was invaded by the bug. “Somehow they flatten themselves out and get in between. I'm not sure how that happens because we don't have trouble with flies or mosquitoes getting in there."

The bug was identified by scientists at Purdue University after an Elkhart County homeowner sent them one. This type of stink bug is a native of Japan, China and Korea but was reported in the U.S. 12 years ago. Since then it's been found in 10 other states.

Experts suggest the best way to remove the bugs is to suck them up with a vacuum and throw them out. Indoor insecticides are not recommended because you may kill good bugs that keep pest mites under control.

The bug feeds on mainly fruits, but has been known to eat corn and beans. If left unchecked, Indiana's Department of Natural Resources worries they could start to affect local crops as they’ve done in other parts of the country.

"They were moving out of the wooded areas into the cornfields and building their numbers up," said Philip Marshall, state entomologist with the Indiana Department of Natural Resouces.

Right now the bugs, which are trying to find a warm place to hibernate, are just a big pest for those who want to keep them out of their homes. Miller says she will continue to do all she can to keep the bugs out of her home, but knows she may be fighting a losing battle.

"If just one house like ours has thousands of them, there must be billions," she said.

Marshall says these bugs don't have any natural predators yet. Which means they have nothing stopping them from rapidly increasing in numbers. So for now, homeowners are the only line of defense between their house and these bugs.

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