Invasive Stink Bugs Make Their Way To Eastern Long Island

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- An invasive pest is getting ready to come inside for the winter.

Brown marmorated stink bugs -- their name says it all -- have made their way to eastern Long Island, CBS 2's Jennifer McLogan reported Friday.

"An odd odor. Very strong. Once you get it in your hands you're going to smell for hours," Wantagh resident Claire Reisert said.

Reisert said she already has stink bugs in her garage. They have burrowed onto her screens, rested on doors, and made themselves at home on her laundry. This week the bugs made a move on her raspberry plants.

"As soon as I put the raspberry in my mouth I knew a stink bug had been on the raspberry. You just spit it out. It's so awful tasting," she said.

Nymphs and eggs bury within fruit and other crops and create massive destruction.

With winter approaching the smelly bug, which has a lifespan of about a year, will be looking for hiding spots inside of homes.

Master gardeners at Cornell Cooperative Extension have spread the word to homeowners to seal cracks, close screens and windows, inspect eaves and chimney flues and keep stink bugs outside.

Once a bug gets in it will bring others along and begin to multiply. Bugs that do make it into your home should be trapped and taken outside, experts said. Crushing the bugs will create a pungent and overwhelming odor.

"The Brown Marmorated stink bug is here and they like to overwinter in our homes. They are not harmful to us. They don't bite. When they are crushed they do have an odor," Bonnie Klein explained.

If not removed from the house the bugs will die indoors in large numbers and produce a horrible smell. The bugs may also attract carpet beetles and other scavengers.

Adult female stink bugs lay clusters of 20 to 30 eggs, experts said.

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