Stink Bugs Everywhere

By Greg Peppers

Researchers say there appears to be a bumper crop of brown marmorated stink bugs in the metro area this year.

Stink bugs seem to be just about every where you look, inside and outside your house or office building, in your car and sometimes on your clothing.

Virginia Tech research specialist Tim McCoy says the pests are worse than they were last year. Barbara Leach is with the Virginia Cooperative extension, she says stink bugs don't damage property. But, she adds they have done damage to both farmer's crops and home gardens.

"In the home garden they've certainly been a pest with tomatoes, beans, peppers, even my okra has been really malformed," says Leach.

Leach also says despite what we might think, stink bugs don't bite.

"They have little clasping feet, so some people feel like they're being bitten and some people will actually have a skin reaction to them," she says.

The stink bug emits a pungent odor when threatened and they've kept exterminators extremely busy this year.