FRIDAY FUNNY: Stink Bug Solutions

Considering the unseasonably mild weather being experienced in some parts of the country this winter, it’s hardly a surprise to hear there has been an uptick in one particularly pesky aspect of the pest population: stink bugs. These hearty creatures have experienced a recent population explosion, and there are no signs of it tapering off, according to experts. If anything, the bugs are evolving and becoming even more problematic, getting stinkier and more destructive along the way.

According to the Stink Bug Guide website:

These insects get their name from a foul smelling liquid that they produce. They use the smell as a defensive mechanism. If a stink bug is mishandled or threatened it can release the liquid from specialized glands. The smell is suppose to prevent the bug from being hurt or eaten. The liquid is also released when the bugs are squashed.

KansasCityInfozine reports:

First found in Pennsylvania in 1998, the pest has spread slowly. Starting in the Mid-Atlantic States, stink bugs are now working their way through the Midwest.

The stink bug probably came in cargo from China or a neighboring country, Bailey says. It travels as a stowaway.

But help is on the way. One creative man has come up with an inexpensive D-I-Y stink bug trap that seems to do the trick. WTOV9.com reports:

Julian Smith said most people should be able to make the trap at home using an empty soda bottle, an LED light, electrical tape, masking tape, and a razor blade.

Smith said the first time he used his own trap, he left it in his attic overnight. Ten hours later, Smith said there were about 200 stink bugs inside.

Check out the video below for instructions on how to make the trap: