ATLANTA -- If you've noticed clusters of small, brown, dome-shaped bugs clinging to the outside walls of your home, you're not alone. A new critter seems to be spreading across Georgia, bringing a nasty stink.
Its scientific name is Megacopta Cribraria. They're also known as "globular stink bugs". But, most people call them kudzu bugs. They're relatively new to Georgia and North America.
Researchers believe they came here from Asia within the past couple of years, following the kudzu they apparently like to eat. In the fall, kudzu bugs gravitate to the light colored walls and windows of houses and buildings. They're apparently looking for a place to stay warm through the winter.
Last November, 11Alive reporter Marc Pickard reported on the discovery of the kudzu bug. Back then, the bug's population had not spread very far. "Its confined to just a very small number of counties," University of Georgia Entomologist Dr. David Suitor said in November 2009.
"An intense survey found the bug in eight northeast Georgia counties with Hall and Gwinnett being the closest to Atlanta," Pickard reported.
Now that kudzu bugs have been spotted inside the city, they may be on the move and growing in numbers. Though the spread of the kudzu bug could mean a check on the ever expanding patches of kudzu in Georgia, they could cause some concern in the agriculture community. They could damage soy bean crops.
The kudzu bug is a stink bug. It definitely has an odor.
The spread of the kudzu bug could be related to the spread of all kinds of stink bugs. Reports have been coming in from up and down the East Coast that stink bugs have been spreading in large numbers, posing a threat to crops.
If you're noticing these bugs on your house, you should check the seals around your doors and windows. You can also vacuum up the bugs. Just make sure you discard them AWAY from the house.
http://www.11alive.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=159118&catid=8
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