Tending to a garden is a lot like caring for a baby. You not only need to nurture it, but you also need to protect it. With plenty of sunshine, water, healthy soil, and tender loving care, you can grow an exquisitely fertile garden lush with fresh fruits and vegetables. But caring for your garden involves a great deal more than just simply nurturing it. You need to take the necessary precautions and put into the place the necessary safeguards to protect your garden from succumbing to various forms of external threats, most notably in the form of pests. If you live in the northeastern United States, chances are you have come into contact with a peculiar insect species known as the stink bug.
Pest control has always been an issue for gardeners since time immemorial. But the threat of stink bugs, and the havoc that they can wreak on your garden, are relatively new, at least in North America. Stink bugs are not indigenous to the western hemisphere. Rather, they are native to southeast Asia, and can predominantly be found in countries like Japan, the Koreas, and China. It is believed that sometime in the past couple of decades, this species of insect accidentally became trapped within a cargo ship enroute to the shores of the United States, and once they were released into the environment here, they began to multiply rapidly. Having first been discovered in Allentown, Pennsylvania in 1998, there have now been confirmed sightings in over 30 states in the continental US.
Stink bugs pose a major problem for gardens because this particular species of insect thrives on fruits. It is not uncommon in some places to see entire colonies of stink bugs congregating en masse in a field of agricultural fruit crops or even in a garden where you are growing fruits. If you happen to spot maybe one or two stink bugs, you might not think anything of it. But if you aren’t vigilant and you fail to take the necessary preventative measures, you could unknowingly end up with a huge swath of a stink bug infestation and a bunch of destroyed fruits in your garden. Indeed, if you see one stink bug, trust me, you do not want to get complacent. If the situation is left unchecked, you could end up with an infestation problem that is bigger than you are capable of handling on your own.
Stink bugs do not typically live in isolation. They emit what is known as an aggregation pheromone that is used to attract other stink bug, sending them a signal to let them know that another stink bug is here and has found a place with food and shelter. So if you see stink bugs, it would be wise for you to act quickly and do whatever it takes to protect your garden.
Now, you might think that all you have to do, in order to put an end to your stink bug problems is to squash the one or two bugs that you find in your garden, and be done with them. On the contrary, squashing stink bugs can actually do more harm than good. It could very well be the worst thing that you could do, and it could inadvertently serve to further exacerbate the problem rather than quell it. If you have ever squashed a stink bug before, then you might already know, from first hand experience, why this particular species of bugs is so aptly named. They emit a putrid stench whenever they are frightened. This is the natural self-defense mechanism that they have been endowed with by Mother Nature. And in most cases, it is sufficient to repel most any predator.
While there is some debate over this matter, it is believed that when you squash a stink bug, then other stink bugs will be attracted to the stench emitted by them just before their demise. Research into this matter has proven to be inconclusive, on the basis that the aggregation pheromone that they emit is different and distinct from the self-defense odor which they emit. However, an untold number of farmers and residents, particularly of areas where there is a highly concentrated stink bug population, will swear by the theory that squashing stink bugs only invites more stink bugs to take their place.
Here are some tips on how to get rid of stink bugs and protect your garden.