A Sea Of Red

I'm not sure if it's just a regional problem, so I didn't post this in the Lynchburg forum. DBJ7 is all over this one, and just in time. These things are just covering my house and have invaded my shed, they can get into the smallest cracks, it's crazy. They had gotten into my house, but then I found that one of the windows in my daughters' room was cracked open at the top. Once I sealed it up and defenestrated the ones that were in the room, problem solved.

I don't know about this professor, though. Any time someone uses the term "Biblical proportions" I have a hard time listening to. I don't think they want to see what Biblical proprotions really looked like.

http://www.wdbj7.com/news/wdbj7-story-s ... 9404.story

A Virginia Tech professor is weighing in on the pests. Not only have they grown "exponentially" this year but Virginia Tech Associate Professor of Entomology Thomas Kuhar says the infestation is of "Biblical Proportions."

To make matters worse, experts say this is the beginning of the season, so it's going to get worse before it gets better.

There is some good news however. The bugs don't bite and they don't lay eggs in the house.

"They're just starting to coming down and finding they're over wintering area. That will go on even past fall. If you get a warm afternoon, they may wake up and try to find a better site than they had last night," says Barbara Leach of the Virginia Cooperative Extension.

The Horticulture Technician says for the last two weeks she's been averaging about 15 phone calls a day from people wondering what to do with these hard-shelled bugs. Leach says the biggest thing is Prevention.

Caulk windows and doors. That's how the bugs get inside. She also recommends something called Cyfluthrin to curb the problem, but says it shouldn't be used inside- only outside on doors and windows.

News7 visited a Roanoke hardware store Monday afternoon where similar products are flying off the shelves. In fact, they're out of their biggest seller, but workers say Wasp and Hornet sprays work just as well.

The extension office suggests catching the bugs or dust bustering them but warn against vacuuming them or the bugs could spray other objects with their stench once they're sucked in.

Freaking China.

They are the worst I've ever seen them and wonder if they may rule the world in 10 years.

Hold My Own wrote:Freaking China.

They are the worst I've ever seen them and wonder if they may rule the world in 10 years.

Are you talking about the stink bugs or China? Or do you consider them both the same thing?

My house seems pretty well sealed up this year as I can see them on the outside of every window but they've only gotten in a couple times and it's when I open the door. And on that note, it seems like they're just flying around waiting for you to open the door. They dart at the door as soon as you turn the handle.

The thing about them is that they're so slow and easy to catch but it's completely useless to try to kill them because there's so many. It's so gross to be constantly finding them in every crease or crevice around your house.

I had the same window cracked open problem. Used raid fly spray (blue can) and killed a ton. I may count them tonight since I left them on the floor until I vacuum them tonight.

We were talking about it at work today and wondering if there is a way to make a trap for them. Anyone know what they are attracted to? I made a fly trap with dog food as bait, but I don't think that works for stink bugs.

Stink bugs have completely taken over the Lynchburg Inn and it really sucks. They just find way to sneak in right under the doors and can be a real nuisance if you don't find ways to keep them out. I actually helped a friend of mine rid his dorm room of stinkbugs because it was getting out of hand and it turns out we killed over 250 of them in his room (no that is not a typo)

My last year on campus I lived in east, and my roommate and I had a thick blanket over our window (because neither of us liked any light when wed sleep) and between the window and blanket was a sheet of cardboard. Around this time of the year we noticed our room being taken over by stink bugs so we cleaned the entire room to get rid of them, and the last thing we decided to do was take down the blanket and box.

Apparently our window had broken and not stayed in place and there was about a 2 inch gap from the top of the window frame to the actual window, and because of this, the 4 inch space between the window and box/blanket was COMPLETELY filled with stink bugs, i mean like picture the honey guys that dip their hands in thousands of bees, just replace it with stink bugs. Grossest thing ever, and one of the worst days that year.

Mrs. Sly will not be allowed to see this thread or we might now be able to make the trip. She already is going nuts over the current bed bugs epidemic. This would push her over the edge.

ALUmnus wrote:

Hold My Own wrote:Freaking China.

They are the worst I've ever seen them and wonder if they may rule the world in 10 years.

Are you talking about the stink bugs or China? Or do you consider them both the same thing?

They came from China just a few years ago.

The Stink Bug is a native of China and was first reported and identified in Allentown, Pa in 2001, although there had been reported sightings of the bug going back to as early as 1996. Stink Bugs derived their name because of the foul odor they give off when disturbed or threatened.

I swear this had to be one of the plagues

Sly Fox wrote:Mrs. Sly will not be allowed to see this thread or we might now be able to make the trip. She already is going nuts over the current bed bugs epidemic. This would push her over the edge.

That would be fantastic if a couple of our stink bugs hitched a ride back to Texas with you guys. The infestation could reach epic proportions in a big city like Houston.

They probably wouldn't even notice the smell in Houston.

I think the Chinese did this on purpose. I say we send something over there in retaliation.

LUconn wrote:I think the Chinese did this on purpose. I say we send something over there in retaliation.

Send some Radford girls as part of an exchange program....They will invent a way to kill stinkbugs within months...

and those dang asian carp killing off all the good game fish find a way to kill them too

And don't even get me started on Kudzu...

Don't forget Kudzu. Except that was Japan. And we did that to ourselves.

ahhh, Cider got me.

LUconn wrote:I think the Chinese did this on purpose. I say we send something over there in retaliation.

I agree

LUconn wrote:I think the Chinese did this on purpose. I say we send something over there in retaliation.

Well I just checked and they already have fire ants, but they do not yet appear to have killer bees. So I'm gonna go with that. Any Texans want to hook a cargo freight shipment of that up?

Or bed bugs. We should find out if they have bed bugs.

sent those huge hornets. they are as big as some of the chinese people lol!

happy to report i haven't seen a single stink bug here in farmville!

Even stinkbugs don't want to live in farmville.