Friday, September 30, 2011

They're back

I got the following stinkbug update from Unionville resident Congressman Joe Pitts, who recently visited a Lancaster County orchard :
"In recent years, their fruit has been destroyed by the Asian stinkbug infestation. I toured the orchards with a professor from Penn State who is working closely with local growers to determine ways to fight the stinkbug. They’re looking into solutions to the problem including chemicals that block breeding and introduction of natural predators."
I know that some preternaturally tolerant people think that stinkbugs are just minor nuisances we should learn to live with, but they really are harmful to crops.
So far, I've had one very bad day where I picked literally dozens of the foul creatures off the walls and curtains and found them hiding in my clothes and bed. Yuck! Since then I've tried to keep all the doors, curtains and windows shut as much as possible, as tough as it is during pleasant fall weather, and that seems to be making a significant difference. My motivation is the memory I have of pulling a scarf out of a bureau drawer last winter and seeing dozens of stinkbugs clinging to it.

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