Stink Bug — Identification & Control

The brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) is an invasive species, originally from East Asia, that has spread aggressively across the eastern United States since its accidental introduction and is now a well-established seasonal nuisance across the Triangle. Adults are easy to identify by their shield-shaped, mottled brown body and the distinctive white banding on both their antennae and legs — a marking unique enough that it separates them from native stink bug species at a glance.

During summer, brown marmorated stink bugs feed on a wide range of fruit and vegetable crops outdoors, causing measurable agricultural damage across the region. As temperatures drop in fall, they shift behavior dramatically, clustering by the dozens on sun-warmed, south-facing exterior walls and pushing into any available crack, attic gap, or wall void to overwinter indoors. Their signature defense — a famously pungent odor released when crushed or disturbed — is exactly why vacuuming, rather than swatting, is the recommended way to remove them once inside.