The brown marmorated stink bug first hit the United States in Allentown, Pa., in 1998. Since then, it has spread to at least 36 states. The stink bug is thought to have entered the U.S. in a shipping crate from China or Japan, where the bug is a serious pest.
It takes about two years for birds to develop an appetite for the insect. Spiders, preying mantis and other insects will eat the bug, but not in enough numbers to put a dent in the population, which can reach in the millions.
They have become very troublesome, as both the adults and nymphs attack apples, stone fruits, tomatoes, corn and many other crops.