Stink bugs and other summer pests

Monday, 06 June 2011 14:46

Stink bugs and other summer pests

Written by Scott LaMar, Director of Radio Smart Talk

Radio Smart Talk for Tuesday, June 7:

I look forward to sitting on my home's deck or patio on warm, summer evenings. There are very few things more relaxing than the fresh air, a gentle breeze, and the quiet surroundings. Maybe I'll hear the chirping of a cricket now and then. As mid-June approaches, the subtle, sudden flash of light from fireflies or lightning bugs, as I called them growing up, just confirm that Central PA will be having it's most enjoyable weather of the year. What an idyllic scene!

But then it starts. My wife is usually the first to start scratching an ankle or arm. She finally exclaims, "I'm getting bitten!!" As if on cue, I notice little black gnats swirling around. We reach for the citronella candles or patio torches. They help but finally, my wife will say, "I'm going in" very disgustedly.

More than once recently, I've followed her indoors soon afterwards only to find a Brown Marmorated Stink Bug crawling on a window screen. Where are these critters coming from? I know from my research that Stink Bugs were first found in Allentown in 1998. Who was the guy who brought the Stink Bug to Pennsylvania? He or she has changed the course of many Pennsylvanians' lives. On a serious note, farmers find the Stink Bug to be no laughing matter.

The bottom line is as the weather heats up, we will be battling all kinds of insects from house flies to fleas on our pets to mosquitoes.

On Tuesday's Radio Smart Talk, we'll target these summer time pests with Jeffrey White, research entomologist, Cooper Pest Solutions and BedBug Central.

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comments

# Lisa 2011-06-07 09:41

Regarding the young caller who feeds stinkbugs to the bearded dragon lizards, anoles will eat them too. Downside is that anoles crush their prey so the smell is just horrible. Some chickens will eat them, too.

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# Jim 2011-06-07 09:43

In the 1950's, the Department of Agriculture launched a campaign to eradicate the screw worm by sterilizaing millions of male flies through irradiation, then releasing them into the environment. Would a similar campaign be effective with stink bugs?

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# Sarah 2011-06-07 09:55

You can view this DO IT YOURSELF STINK BUG TRAP on WJACTV & make DIY Trap with soda bottle & small LED light & tape for around $7. vs buying a commercial trap for $50.
http://www.wjactv.com/video/28028425/index.html

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# Lisa 2011-06-07 10:03

I wish there had been a little more follow up on issue of rain barrels attracting mosquitoes. Of course a container with open standing water will attract mosquitoes, but rain barrels almost always have screen mesh over them which prevents mosquitoes or other bugs from being able to access the water. Let's not discourage people from doing something that is beneficial by making it appear that they will be creating another problem. I have never seen a commercial rain barrel that does not have this screening. Contact LIVE Green Lancaster for more information about rain barrels at www.livegreenlancaster.org.

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# vanessa patterson 2011-06-07 10:08

occasionally i find a 1 to 1-1/2" spider in my basement. it has an oval lower body and its legs are horizontally striped black/brown. i have been bitten by one and afterward had swelling and slight pain at bite site. it took about a week for site to clear up. here is an internet link that has a picture that's very similar to the spider i found, http://bugguide.net/node/view/503829/bgimage. can you identify this spider? how do i get rid of this spider and how lethal is it?

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# Brice 2011-06-19 11:44

@Vanessa. It sounds like wolf spider, they tend to grow big, and are usually all black with black and brown-yellow stripes. But, the symptoms don't sound like a wolf spider bite. It could even be a brown recluse, they are poisonous. The symptoms you had seems like a brown recluse.

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