Community Corner
Stink Bugs Population May be Ready to Explode; 'We're Right at the Epicenter'
Where's the big stink? In all lower 48 states, but the East Coast can expect to get stink-bombed especially hard.
If you notice a foul smell in your house, then notice your dog looking a bit sheepish, don't blame the pet. Blame the stink bugs making a comeback in Maryland and most other parts of the country.
"We're really expecting a bigger crop of stink bugs in the region coming into 2013," Mike Raupp, entomologist at the University of Maryland, told WTOP.
The little, brown marmorated stink bugs are only about the size of pumpkin seeds, but they cause a big stink when crushed. Thank Asia for that. They arrived from there on our shores in the mid 1990s.
AGProfessional.com warns that the East Coast could take the brunt of the stink bug population explosion.
Find out what's happening in College Parkwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Places with the perfect climate for these guys: Virginia, Maryland and D.C.
"We're right at the epicenter, we're at the place where there are more stink bugs than anywhere on the planet, as far as we can tell, right now," Raupp told WTOP.
Find out what's happening in College Parkwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
In addition to being annoying, stink bugs can beat up crops. GrowingProduce.com reports that in 2010 the stink bugs ravaged peach and apple orchards in the Mid-Atlantic region.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
