One of the most unwelcome pests these days are stink bugs. If you’ve had them in your home, then you know exactly what I mean! While you don’t normally find them in clusters, when you see one you are bound to find another….and another. The worst part is, if you pick them up to get them out of the house, they release a very unpleasant odor that is hard to get off of your hands. If you smash these bugs, the odor is even worse. Sounds fun, right? You will usually find them crawling around on the wall, curtains, ceiling, furniture, and really just about anywhere. While you may mostly see them crawling, the question is…can stink bugs fly?
Actually, stink bugs DO fly! They are not great fliers when indoors and usually will zig-zag around clumsily looking for a new place to land. When one is flying in your house, you will usually know even if you don’t see them because their wings are fairly loud and you will undoubtedly hear them flapping as they seem to crash land in their next spot. Perhaps indoors the many obstacles make them look clumsy, but when outside they can actually fly pretty long distances, between 1 and 3 miles a day if they need to.
Why do stink bugs fly
Stink bugs fly to get from place to place as they are very slow walkers. You will catch them flying from one surface to the next in your house and sometimes accidentally colliding into you, possibly trying to hitch a ride! Stink bugs can fly fairly long distances when outside in search of food sources, mates, or shelter and have been known to fly up to 3 miles in a single day.
What does a stink bug eat?
Now that you know that one reason that stink bugs fly is to search for food, you may be wondering what stink bugs eat. Stink bugs eat a variety of things including crops like cotton, sorghum, and soybeans. They also eat fruit, flowers, other insects, grasses, and weeds. In the winter, they hibernate (often in your house) and during this time they do not eat or reproduce. This should be a relief to know they are not mating if you find stink bugs in your house this winter, but often you will find them during other seasons as well, and then you want to rid them from your home quickly.
What does a stink bug look like?
It depends on the species of stink bug, but a very common one is the Brown Marmorated stink bug. These stink bugs are a brown-gray color, antennae have white bands and there are small copper patches near the head. They are oval or shield shaped, six legs, and three body segments. They also have a pair of wings that they fold in on top of their body when they are not flying. There are, however, 5,000 different species that have been discovered throughout the world. Virginia Tech published a wonderful field guide all about identifying different types of stink bugs you might encounter in the United States.
What do stink bugs smell like?
While it’s hard to describe what a stink bug smells like, most people will agree that they do in fact stink! Some describe the stink bug’s smell as ammonia, cilantro, burnt tires, chemicals, skunk, etc… It seems to vary from person to person on how they describe the smell, but it is simply just very unpleasant. Even if you carefully pick them up with a tissue, you will often still be able to smell the strong scent on your hand. If you smash them in a tissue in your hand…good luck washing the smell off! It is best to move them outside carefully and then use a spray on them so that you don’t get the odor in your home. One single stink bug can cause an entire room to smell if they emit their foul odor. I am speaking from experience…trust me…take them outside before killing them!
How long do stink bugs live?
The common Brown Marmorated stink bug lives around 6 – 8 months. During that time, they go through 3 different stages including egg, nymph, and adult. The nymphs go through several moltings before they reach adulthood. Eight months may seem like a short life span unless they have invaded your house and then it can feel like an eternity…and there are more where they came from!
Conclusion
The next time you hear a loud buzzing and flapping sound in your home and can’t figure out what it is, you may have a stink bug flying around! Check walls, curtains, furniture, or any other surfaces to see if you find any stink bugs hanging around. While it may feel like they are dive bombing you when they fly, they are probably just looking to hitch a ride on you.