Stinks bugs may get their name because they stink but why do they stink?Stink bugs may release a bad odor which gets them this name. They release bad odor only when they are threatened.The local stinky odor which is released from a stink bug is not harmful or dangerous to human beings. In fact, stink bugs in themselves are not very harmful to us and do not pose any serious threat. They are just not liked because of their foul smell which is a local toxic and poisonous chemical they excrete.Can they bite or sting you? Do they eat to suck their food? Are stink bugs dangerous? Are these bed bugs or forest bugs? Are stink bugs poisonous? Are stink bugs poisonous to humans? Let us find out that are stink bugs poisonous. Cats are one of the pet animals that can be infected by these bugs. If you wish to know more about animals, you may also like reading a number of related articles like are rabbits nocturnal? And are pigs good pets?What are stink bugs?Stink bugs belong to Pentatomidae, a family of insects. These are the largest family of insects in the superfamily Pentatomoidea. These insects have piercing-sucking mouthparts. They are known for being severe pests for agricultural crops. The body of the adult stink bugs has a shield-like structure when viewed from above, giving them the name ‘shield bugs’. But, this feature may vary from species to species.They love shrubbery areas because they feed on them. They are mostly found in areas with shrubs. If your house is near such areas, then it is more likely that they will make their way to your home. They generally enter houses during the winters. In winter, your house may not be free from these bugs.As the name suggests, these insects are stinky. They do not always stink, but only when crushed or being in threat. They are not poisonous, nor do they pose a great threat to humans. There are both good and bad bugs in this family.How to identify stink bugs?There are more than 4,500 species of stink bugs all over the earth. All of them have their own distinct features which make them unique among all. But as they all come under one family of insects, they have some common features through which they can be identified.The primary feature of all stink bugs is that they form a shield on their back, which can be round or can be triangularly projected. They are commonly between one-third and 3-4 in (1-2 cm) long. Like a typical insect, they have two antennae and two pairs of overlapping wings. They have three pairs of legs and piercing and sucking mouthparts. The most important feature of a stink bug is that it stinks.Approximately 400 species of stink bugs are found in North America. The most common of them is the brown marmorated stink bug. As the name suggests, they are brown in color, but their undersides are white. They have a triangular-shaped body, which is roughly 5-8 in (1.5 cm) long. They are most active during the fall months.Other stink bugs include the forest stink bugs (brown bodies with orange and reddish markings), harlequin bug (with yellow, red, black, and white markings all over the body), rice stink bug (golden in color), and southern green stink bug (green in color with black or red eyes).Are stink bugs dangerous?Stink bugs are not very dangerous. Do you know that these insects do not bite? Yes, stink bugs do not bite or sting you nor your pet. They are stink bugs, not sting bugs. In fact, their body and mouth structure is not designed to bite. Moreover, these insects do not feed on blood, so there’s no need for them to bite us. They are designed by nature to feed on plants. Their mouth structure is meant for piercing into plants to suck the sap stored by them.Although they do not bite, they still pose a little threat to human beings. The only thing which is dangerous about them is what they excrete. Stink bugs do not bite others to protect themselves, but they excrete an odorous bodily fluid that has a foul odor and is toxic. This fluid contains a chemical compound, to which many people are allergic. This fluid can also ruin crops. If you squash a stink bug then your hand will surely come into contact with the fluid, and if you touch your eyes with your hands containing that fluid, the consequences will not be good. The chemical compound will cause a burning irritation in your eyes, and this can lead to some serious injury. So, if accidentally your eyes come in contact with this fluid, just quickly wash your eyes with clean water and contact your doctor as soon as possible. Other than this burning irritation, they do not pose any great threat.Also, if your pets (dog, cat, bird, mouse) swallow and eats any of these stink bugs and get it into their stomach, you do not have to worry much about any toxic effects on the health of the pet or wait for any symptoms of vomiting or drooling. A stink bug is not poisonous and hence there will not be any symptoms or cause any trouble in the stomach. But, after your pet eats a bug they may irritate and give an unpleasant gastrointestinal tract to your pets resulting in uncontrolled drooling. And, this irritation and an unpleasant feeling in the tract of your pets will also subside on its own as the bug will pass through the stool, so just relax and don’t force your pet into vomiting.Now you have the answer for the questions like, are stink bugs poisonous? Are stink bugs dangerous? Are they good or bad bugs?How to get rid of stink bugs?These weird insects do not possess a great threat to humans, they only create a gastrointestinal issue for your pet, which is not too severe. But they can create nuisance during the colder months. During the winter season, these bugs look for a warm environment, and they find that in your house. Do you want to share your bed with them? Or do you want them as your new pet? Of course, you don’t want these stink bugs in your house, at least your mom doesn’t. So, let’s see how we can get rid of them.Whatever measure you take to keep them away from your home, you have to do that either in the late summer or in the early fall. This is the time when this insect is looking to enter your house. The prevention measures include closing all the possible ways through which stink bugs can enter, like closing all the cracks and openings, using mesh screens in chimneys, air vents, and other susceptible entries. You can make use of scented dryer sheets to clean windows because stink bugs hate that smell. You can also grow wildflowers in your garden. Growing wildflowers will attract wasps, which are predators for stink bugs.You should avoid squashing or crushing a stink bug at any cost, otherwise, they will release the stinky chemical. To get rid of them, get them gently through a bottle, a plastic bag, or a paper and free them outside your house. If your house has a lot of bugs and getting rid of them one by one is not possible then you can use stink bug traps also. But, never use insecticides for stink bugs. They are not affected by insecticides and you probably expose your house members and pet dog or cat to these chemicals, which may cause health diseases for us.You can also use some home remedies to get rid of stink bugs, such as garlic, hair sprays, neem oil, soapy water, hot pepper, mint, and vacuuming. All these home remedies will help you to make your home a safe place to live. You may also contact the customer care department of a pest control service and avail of their expertise.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for are stink bugs poisonous? then why not take a look at are rabbits herbivores? or squash bug facts.
Stinks bugs may get their name because they stink but why do they stink?
