Down To Earth Garden Club

You may have noticed that the ladybugs are not the only insect that has been staging home invasions over the past few years. Halyomorpha halys or the brown marrmorated stink bug is the other culprit. This is the only species of stinkbug that will seek out buildings for overwintering. This moves it into the nuisance category. It will enter homes or other structures in the fall seeking protection from the cold. It insinuates itself under siding, into vents, around door and window frames and into crawl spaces. The heat from the house or sun will often bring them out of hibernation during the winter and they will fly about until swatted. In flight they strongly resemble a wasp and if interfered with they emit a strong unpleasant odor.

The BMSB (brown marmorated stink bug) was first officially documented in Allentown, PA in 2001, although it had probably been around before that. A strong flyer and given to “hitch hiking” it has spread from Pennsylvania and  established itself in New Jersey, Connecticut, West Virginia, New York and Maryland. Isolated sightings have been made as far west as Oregon. It is expected to eventually spread through out the US and parts of Canada.

This insect is native to Asia where it feeds on fruit and soybeans. It is presumed to have come in from China or Japan sheltering in typical fashion in crates. What effect it will have on agriculture is unknown.

The stinkbug is a “sucking insect” and can cause considerable damage to a wide variety of fruits and vegetable. The insertion of the proboscis causes blemishing on the skin of its chosen food that can disfigure the crop and make it unsalable. Penetration of the skin can also contribute to the transmission of plant diseases.

The BMSB is similar to the 32 other species of stinkbugs native to the US. They are easily identified by their shield like shape and grey brown color.  While it is difficult to tell one stinkbug from another, if you find it in the house it is probably the brown marmorated stink bug..There isn’t really much that can be done to rid your house of this pest except to seal any and all openings. Spraying into crawl spaces and other areas where they hibernate is not a good idea because the dead bugs just attract other pests. One remedy is to utilize stinkbugs the way that they do in Thailand and deep fry them. They are said to be very tasty. If you want something a bit more sophisticated than deep frying try this pâté. Let us know how it tastes but please don’t bring it to a meeting as your contribution to snacks.

1/3 pound roasted stink bugs
10 chicken livers
4 cloves garlic
1 small onion
1/8 teaspoon salt
Black pepper, to taste
Oregano, to taste
Marjoram, to taste
Powdered bouillon, to taste
Olive oil, to tastePlace the chicken livers in a saucepan with the garlic, onion, salt, and enough water to cover. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes.

Remove the chicken livers and place in a blender or food processor, reserving the broth. Add the roasted stink bugs and about 1/4 cup of the reserved broth and purée, adding more broth as needed, until mixture is smooth and reaches a spreadable consistency. Add spices and oil to taste. Place in a wooden bowl and serve with crusty French bread.

Recipe from The Global Gourmet