The stink bug crisis is worsening as the foul little critters have now spread to 38 states, leaving a trail of destroyed crops in their wake.
Scientists are working on a new pesticide that can kill the bugs, but are still waiting for the 2012 Farm Bill to pass through the Senate first.
The brown marmorated stink bug (Halyomorpha halys) has left a swath of destruction in its wake.
Apple growers in the Mid-Atlantic states have already lost nearly $40 million since the stink bugs took up residence there.
“Clearly these bugs are spreading and they are more than just a nuisance because they smell. They have the potential to devastate crops – apple crops, peach crops, grapes. We have to get a handle on it,” Rep. Frank Wolf explained.
In order to stop the carnage, $831,000 has been set aside via the 2012 Farm Bill to determine what can be utilized to win the stink bug war. One possible solution: a tiny Chinese bee that lays its eggs in stink bug eggs, effectively killing them.
Others have suggested using DDT, a pesticide that was banned by the Food and Drug Administration for its harmful side effects, on the annoying stink bugs.
One thing is certain – whichever course of action is chosen, something needs to be done soon.
Do you have stink bugs in your neck of the woods?
More in the video below.
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