It might be the unseasonably hot weather.  It might be the dryness of the season.  Whatever the cause, there’s an unusual insect infestation devastating portions of the East Coast at the moment, and believe me when I tell you that it stinks.  That’s because the Eastern seaboard is host to a massive population of brown marmorated stink bugs.  The bugs don’t bite, but they do live up to the reputation (and the name) thanks to their pungent smell.

While the bugs don’t bite humans, and are more annoying than dangerous, the one thing the bugs threaten is food crops, and thanks to their record-breaking numbers, farmers are feeling the sting in their wallets as well as their nostrils.  The bugs have been tearing through corn, soybeans, apples, and lots of other crops, and are still eating as their population continues to grow.  “This is definitely the worst year for them that we’ve seen,” says Linda Hyatt, a horticulture program assistant with Penn State’s co-op program.  It was bad when stink bugs invaded Baltimore in May, and they’ve been spreading.

Maybe it’s time for drastic measures.  Quick, call in the opossum brigade!  Possums will save us from the stink bugs!

Tags: stink bugs, stink bug infestation, stink bug infestation, brown marmorated stink bug, stink bugs invade Eastern seaboard, massive stink bug population, unusual insects, stinkbugs, weird insects, stink bugs destroying crops, Linda Hyatt, Penn state

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