Stink Bugs in the UK
The brown marmorated stink bug can now be found in the UK and is threatening our fruit and vegetable crops. The stink bugs are fast-breeding insects that come in various shades of brown and grow up to 1.7 centimetres. They get their name from the foul smell they exude when they feel threatened.
The bugs feed on fruits and vegetables such as apples, pears, peaches, tomatoes and sweetcorn. They damage the crop making inedible or commercially unsellable.
Sometimes stink bugs can end up in products made from fruits, such as wine, and contaminate the flavour. This often results in the entire crop being thrown away – a huge waste and loss of profit.
Brown marmorated stink bugs are considered an invasive species. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has funded a trapping programme to monitor and detect the presence of stink bugs in order to inform future policy and behaviour e.g growing a crop that is less susceptible to this pest or bug-proofing your house to prevent them overwintering.
If members of the public think they have found a brown marmorated stink bug, NIAB EMR encourage them to first check online to make sure it hasn’t been confused with a native species such the green shield bug, which turns brown over winter. If it turns out to be a brown marmorated stink bug, the scientists request that it is captured in a small container and posted to the Natural History Museum or NIAB EMR. Images of suspected stink bug can also be emailed to Max or NIAB EMR or for confirmation.