WARNING: Do NOT Squish This Nasty Invasive Bug If You See It in Idaho
When you hear the word invasive species, what do you picture? Thanks to local headlines over the last few years it’s probably a plant or an aquatic species.
While both Myrtle Spurge (a toxic plant) and Quagga Mussels are the invasive species you’ve heard the most about over the last five years, they’re not the invasive species we want to warn you.
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No, this one is of the creepy crawly variety and if you spot it, you should absolutely NOT squish it. We’re talking about the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug. This pest is NOT native to Idaho. In fact, they’re not even native to the United States. According to the Idaho State Department of Agriculture, they are native to Asian nations like China, Japan, Korea and Taiwan. It’s highly likely that they hopped a ride to the United States on a shipping container.
Penn State University explains that the bugs, also called BMSB for short, were first detected in the United States in a part of Eastern Pennsylvania 1998. 26 years later, the EPA says these things have found their way to 38 states and Washington DC. Idaho’s on that list, but the good news is that they haven’t managed to thrive as well here as they have in Washington and Oregon.
How Dangerous are Brown Marmorated Stink Bugs?
If you’re a human? They’re more of a nuisance than anything else. They don’t sting. They don’t spread diseases. They’re pretty darn slow. They’re not going to hurt you. They’re also not going to damage the structure of your home, shed or barn either. They probably WILL freak you out when they fly into your TV screen when you least expect it.
Now if you’ve got plants? That’s a different story. These bugs plunge a part of their mouthpiece into fruit and suck the good stuff out, resulting in bruised, discolored and unmarketable fruit. They especially like apples, apricots, peaches and grapes which are all crops that do pretty well in Idaho.
You Said They Were Found in Idaho; How Common Are They?
They’ve only been reported a handful of times in the Gem State. Multiple reports say that the first time they appeared was in Nampa in 2012. A couple who moved to Canyon County from Maryland accidentally brought the pests along in one of their boxes. They saw them fly out while they were unpacking. Two years later, ISDA confirmed another sighting in a Boise garage.
The population never got out of control here like it did in some of our neighboring states and the IDSA wants to keep it that way. They want you to be vigilant, especially if you’re a new neighbor who moved here from a state where they’re endemic. If you see one, they recommend taking it to your local extension office or killing it…without squishing it.
If I’m Supposed to Kill It, Why Not Squish It?
Isn’t the name of the bug obvious? The EPA explains that BMSB have a gland on their tummies that secrete a putrid smell when they’re shaken or squished. That’s why they recommend killing them by drowning them in a container of soapy water. You can suck them up with your vacuum too, but it may smell a bit like a stink bug afterward (although, not as bad as if you’d squished it.) If you go that route, you dump the bag of dead bugs ASAP.
Fall is the most common time of the year for stink bugs to get into your home. Even though we don’t have a HUGE population here, homeowners can take steps to prevent them from entering your home by filling cracks with caulk and making sure your weather stripping is in good condition.
By the way, there was a study published in 2022 that predicted that the population of BMSB in the United States could explode by 70% between now and 2080. That study specifically mentioned the Treasure Valley as a place where they could thrive. It was based on climate change scenarios.
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