Stink Bug Blues

Today I survived invasion of the brown marmorated stink bugs. I spent the ENTIRE day fighting, swatting, jumping, shrieking and cleaning ferociously. I know..whose ever heard of a stink bug you ask? I'll tell you who, ME - that's who! I was getting ready to bust out an Insanity workout when I noticed some bugs around the ceiling molding. Low and behold...wouldn't you know - I pull out the sofa and they are behind there and along the baseboard in front of the patio! I had the patio door open and theres a hole in the screen... Apparently they saw a tiny welcome mat! I find out they are a "new" bug to North America indigenous to China and brought here to harass all agriculture and humans (not necessarily in that order either). After further online research, I discovered that they seek shelter when fall comes to hibernate during the cold winters. Except if it gets too warm in the house they can be awakened and travel to light. I was repulsed.

I found an article released by the department of agriculture on September 15th of this year confirming that the new bug has indeed become a huge problem for commercial growers and homeowners alike in Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Virginia. These pesky crunchable foreigners eat leaves and plants and they devour fruit bearing trees leaving brown rings as proof of their destructive presence. Agricultural warfare! Makes one raise an eyebrow in stark suspicion... They are resistant to chemicals and apparently the only way to get rid of them is to weather strip and caulk the house so they don't get in to begin with. So if they make their way into your home, you are basically at war with a stink bug army. Lastly if scared, cornered or squashed they release a hugely offensive odor that can leave a room uninhabitable until cleared. Some people are even allergic to the odor. Needless to say - Increased Repulsion!

Landlord is on the way tomorrow! No sleep for me tonight... Instead I'll be standing guard at my patio door armed with my broom (aka long-handled swatter). We have enough pests, bugs and insects in this country... Now China is dropping off their unwanted legged creatures! What next...Sheesh!



http://abcnews.go.com/Health/stink-bugs-infesting-cities-suburbs/story?id=11728032















- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad




Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Are you there God, It's Me...

I had the privilege of reading someone else's blog yesterday. Perusing her thoughts and experiencing life through her eyes. It was such a refreshing reminder that our journey is not one that was meant for us to experience alone. As I read her confessions I realized that at some point I had felt the emotions she was writing about and a lot of them were feelings and ideas that I was experiencing in my present. Having my own issues and questions about how this thing called life is supposed to go is difficult sometimes. It's a good reminder that there are others who strive for greatness experiencing what we are. And it is even more rewarding to be reminded by someone else's hand of the mark of excellence that we strive for daily. You see this week, I've been questiong AGAIN whether I am supposed to stick this mortgage slump out. It's been grueling and I think surely God does not want me to be this broke... And then I remember that when things were doing extremely
Read more

Keepin' It Real

I am a person who is real. What you see is what you get. It’s always been this way. So many people say this about themselves, but it holds true for only a fraction of these self-proclaimed realists. You’ve heard them – “I keep it real and I don’t do drama” BE CAREFUL…these individuals usually make up your rowdiest and most dedicated drama crew. If there is something that I’m upset about or something I have to say I’m going to do just that. I’m not the kind of person who pretends that things are one way if they are indeed completely another. That to me is a characteristic that represents weakness. I guess my feeling is don’t bark at the wrong person or about the wrong thing. If you are upset bark at the right person…bark exactly what your thoughts are. You know what I’m talking about…those people who pretend that everything is ok to maintain a relationship or to seem politically correct. But every chance they get they have something to say about the person or thing that they
Read more

Girlfriends...

As we all watched Joan finally get her man, FINALLY, I think women everywhere were saddened by the ending that we all knew came far too soon. As happy as I was for Joan, I was disappointed that the finale didn't embody the true essence of what the show really meant to so many of us - The importance of sisterhood. The female bond. The friendship between a woman and her girls. Much as we like Monica and the new flare that she adds, we all know that its just not quite the same without trifelin' Toni Childs . And yes, we were all FED UP with Joan's new uppity attitude when Toni was going through the whole custody battle and we knew that it was high time that Joan messed up since Toni had messed up SOOOO many times before...but didn't we all expect them to become friends again. I mean no one truly thought that it would remain like this...seasons later and Toni is STILL in NY....it's impossible. Joan will NOT be a part of Morgan's life...REALLY!!! I just knew that a
Read more