Stink Bugs, Will The Cold Kill Them?

Stink Bug Extinction?

We have had an epic winter that will be listed in the record books for extreme long lasting cold, ice and snow and I am looking for the upside, something that would cheer me up.  I thought maybe our stink bug population would be decimated, as I read that the emerald ash borer could be knocked down with the extreme cold. I was hoping that those darn stink bugs would stop dive bombing my head when I sit down to eat dinner. Wrong!!! The explanation after talking with Dr. Qing-He Zhang, a PhD scientist with Rescue!, is that the stink bug takes cover either in homes or outside in a sheltered location, adapts to these temperatures, and will be back. Darn!, and I was hoping for some good news to tell people.

The brown marmorated stinkbug, Halyomorpha halys, is an exotic that was introduced into Allentown, Pa. in 1996. Go to  http://www.weatherbook.com/Stinkbug/stinkbugs.pdf  for more information about it's lifecycle and how it entered the United States.

Traps, If You're Desperate

I hate these bugs so much, that I take extreme measures to get rid of them, which is to trap the suckers. I don't use traps for any other pest, but I make an exception for stink bugs and will set a few up around my garden. An attractant is inserted in the top of the trap that the stink bugs love, and as long as the fins on the bottom are in contact with a tree or shrub, they march right in and can't get out. I have been very successful with these and am increasing my number of traps, especially around the veggie garden, which they chew their way through.

For more information on the stink bug traps that are similar to Japanese Beetle ones, go to 

http://www.rescue.com/.

According to entomologist Dr. Zhang "The stink bug and other insects have the ability to super cool themselves when they are in hibernation. Think of it as "antifreeze" inside their bodies that allows them to tolerate sub-zero temperatures". He continues to burst my bubble by saying, "Insects such as stink bugs, yellow jackets and Japanese beetles also have behavioral means of surviving the winter. Many stink bugs will go indoors, which protects them. Or, they will hide under soil or a tree stump. Japanese Beetles can burrow into the soil several feet down so they're protected. The snow cover actually helps to provide shelter for any insects overwintering outdoors." I know snow cover does provides insulating effects for garden plants, preventing frost heaving, so this made sense to me, but I wasn't happy about it. Snow cover is the reason that many things can survive.