Stink Bugs May Invade Homes in Epic Proportions

Stink bugs are maddening Americans in epic proportions this autumn, following heat and food into homes and disturbing millions of people, particularly along the East Coast.

The shield-shaped critters are a menace to gardens and a tormentor of those who simply prefer a bug-free living space. And people in-the-know suspect that this year's brood will be out in record numbers, perhaps even surpassing their monumental amassing in 2010.

Mike Raupp, a University of Maryland entomologist, told the Washington metro area radio station WTOP that his team recently collected 4,000 of the critters off the side of a building in just 20 minutes.

While a wayward stink bug won't actually cause much trouble inside the home, they are generally unsightly and -- as their name suggests -- stinky. Taking the business end of a telephone book to the bugs is not recommended, as they'll fill the room with a foul aroma some say is reminiscent of burning tires. Other have likened the odor to pungent cilantro. Even slightly disturbing a stink bug could cause one to exude its odor.

Stink bugs -- known officially as Halyomorpha halys and technically as the brown marmorated stink bug -- are also a considered a significant agricultural pest, especially in crops of soy and lima bean and in fruit tree orchards.

Keeping stink bugs out of your home can be a challenge, but pest control experts recommend ensuring doors and windows are properly sealed. The insects love the warmth of an attic, so ensuring the space is properly sealed will also help keep them out.

Vacuuming the bugs up is a reliable method of getting rid of a mass of them inside the home, but doing so can cause the vacuum to smell bad.

A product called the RESCUE! Stink Bug Trap is also advertised to effectively trap the pests outdoors in the spring with a pheromone that attracts adult stink bugs and kills them before they have the chance to mate, as well as intercepts the insects in the fall as they make their way inside homes.

Incidentally, a U.S. Department of Agriculture project known as the "Great Stink Bug Count" has been put on ice due to the federal government shutdown.