11 ms·

Brown marmorated stinkbugs mentioned in the article are a problem where I live, southeastern US. Somehow they get into the house, then crawl into the light fixt

Brown marmorated stinkbugs mentioned in the article are a problem where I live, southeastern US. Somehow they get into the house, then crawl into the light fixtures and die. I always wonder what natural predator is absent when there's an insect pest problem.

Aromasin 7y ago
Generally the answer to the 'too many bugs' question is always 'not enough birds'. Industrial farming has destroyed most of their habitation, and bird species are in decline almost everywhere [0]. I recently read that insect populations had a brief but rapid population explosion in the post war era due to the decline in bird populations from agricultural habit destruction, until pesticides came about in a big way. So we destroyed the birds habitats, then used pesticides to kill off their main food source (to the point that insect populations have nearly collapsed) [1]. We really went and stuck the knife in as a species. With insect populations looking to bounce back again with the longer summers and warmer temperatures that the climate crisis is causing, I certainly hope bird populations make a come back with it or we're, excuse the pun, buggered. [0] https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2018/09/embark-data-sheet-farm-bird-population-decline-europe-infographic/ https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2018/09/embark-d... [1] https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/feb/10/plummeting-insect-numbers-threaten-collapse-of-nature https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/feb/10/plummeti...
microwavecamera 7y ago
Apparently in Asia it has a natural predator, the awesomely named samurai wasp. It's a tiny parasitic wasp that lays their eggs in stinkbugs. https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2018/08/scientists-spent-years-plan-import-wasp-kill-stinkbugs-then-it-showed-its-own https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2018/08/scientists-spent-yea...
- undersuit 7y ago
  Parisitic wasps are some of my favorite insects to learn about as long as they aren't doing any mind control tricks on their hosts. My favorite is the Megaphragma mymaripenne[1], the adults are said to have reduced the size of 95% of their neuron cells by getting rid of the nucleus. [1]http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2011/11/30/how-fairy-wasps-cope-with-being-smaller-than-amoebas/ http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2011/11/3...
  - NeedMoreTea 7y ago
    Honourable mention for the microscopic trichogramma wasp, eater of clothes moth larvae. The Natural History Museum deployed them a few years back to deal with a moth outbreak. Supposedly the most successful way of dealing with an outbreak. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/science/11682039/When-moths-come-to-stay-theres-only-one-solution.html https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/science/11682039/When-moths...

Aromasin 7y ago

Generally the answer to the 'too many bugs' question is always 'not enough birds'. Industrial farming has destroyed most of their habitation, and bird species are in decline almost everywhere [0]. I recently read that insect populations had a brief but rapid population explosion in the post war era due to the decline in bird populations from agricultural habit destruction, until pesticides came about in a big way. So we destroyed the birds habitats, then used pesticides to kill off their main food source (to the point that insect populations have nearly collapsed) [1]. We really went and stuck the knife in as a species. With insect populations looking to bounce back again with the longer summers and warmer temperatures that the climate crisis is causing, I certainly hope bird populations make a come back with it or we're, excuse the pun, buggered. [0] https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2018/09/embark-data-sheet-farm-bird-population-decline-europe-infographic/ https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2018/09/embark-d... [1] https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/feb/10/plummeting-insect-numbers-threaten-collapse-of-nature https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/feb/10/plummeti...

microwavecamera 7y ago

Apparently in Asia it has a natural predator, the awesomely named samurai wasp. It's a tiny parasitic wasp that lays their eggs in stinkbugs. https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2018/08/scientists-spent-years-plan-import-wasp-kill-stinkbugs-then-it-showed-its-own https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2018/08/scientists-spent-yea...

undersuit 7y ago
Parisitic wasps are some of my favorite insects to learn about as long as they aren't doing any mind control tricks on their hosts. My favorite is the Megaphragma mymaripenne[1], the adults are said to have reduced the size of 95% of their neuron cells by getting rid of the nucleus. [1]http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2011/11/30/how-fairy-wasps-cope-with-being-smaller-than-amoebas/ http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2011/11/3...
- NeedMoreTea 7y ago
  Honourable mention for the microscopic trichogramma wasp, eater of clothes moth larvae. The Natural History Museum deployed them a few years back to deal with a moth outbreak. Supposedly the most successful way of dealing with an outbreak. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/science/11682039/When-moths-come-to-stay-theres-only-one-solution.html https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/science/11682039/When-moths...