Season of the stink bug

Around this time of year, every year, stink bugs seemingly come out of the woodwork and begin appearing in every room in the house, on the house, and floating aimlessly in the atmosphere.

I find them in the bathtub and so conclude they must come up the drain. Then I find them by the back door and conclude they must crawl in underneath the door. Then I see them on the bathroom curtain and conclude they must come in through the window. Then I see them upside down on the ceiling light fixture and think they crawled in through the wiring.

Stink bugs, though innocuous, are ubiquitous at this time of year. I’m not sure why. They crawl at a lackadaisical snail’s pace, making them extremely easy to catch. But, while they’re harmless to humans, they’re considered pests and can do considerable damage to orchards and gardens.

Officially named the brown marmorated stink bug, (Even though the word “marmorated” contains the word “armor” and the stink bug does look like its carrying a shield on its back, marmorated actually means veined or streaked like marble) it earns its moniker by dispersing two alarm odor compounds from its abdomen as a defense against predators. Though some describe the pungent odor as acrid or skunkish — it reminds me of mowed grass — others say it smells like coriander or cilantro. In any case, the smell lingers. If a stink bug is dispatched to the garbage can, the smell will be noticeable until the garbage is taken out. For this reason, I prefer to catch and release stink bugs outside using the paper and glass method — placing the glass over the bug, sliding the paper under the glass, then liberating them outdoors. But alas, even that method of capture may cause one to spray.

A couple of weeks ago as I was leaving work I noticed a stink bug clinging to the hull of my kayak on top of my car. I continued to observe it through the windshield as I drove through town and out to Foys Lake. A distance of roughly 7 miles, it clung to my kayak the entire time and didn’t even take off when I began offloading my boat. It wasn’t until I laid my boat on the shore that it took off over the dock.

I’m neither fond of, nor afraid of, stink bugs. I tolerate them. They look prehistoric to me. I imagine them as dinosaur-sized creatures prowling the earth and towering over us tiny earthlings; therefore, I’m glad I am my actual size and they are theirs.

The other good news about stink bugs is that they don’t procreate at this time of year so you won’t be finding any little stinkers milling about; unfortunately, they do exude another pheromone that attracts other stink bugs.

The other morning as I opened the mudroom door on my way to work, one dropped from above directly in front of my face to the floor. When will it ever end? I left that one for my husband to remove from the premises as he saw fit.

Community editor Carol Marino may be reached at 406-758-4440 or community@dailyinterlake.com.