Foto-Friday: Stink Bug Stand-off

LOL! Thanks Anna! I was snapping photos of the poinsettia for the Abstract Challenge, and only later noticed the stink bug, so then I focused on him. I couldn't believe how lucky I was to get the secretion photo. I always wondered how they did it - LOL.

It's an NVP mooning with extra pop!

You probably saw this, but here's a cropped photo I did for Flickr that shows the jeweled look of the stink bugs. Maybe we can start a new jewelry fad - stink bug pins -- kind of like scarab broaches or stick pins:)

LOL! But just think -- we could turn them into perfume dispensers to wear!

LOL! Good point! Stink bugs are much easier to load than zombies, and easier to clean up too!

Yeah, the tank rounds got too heavy for Anna and I to transport. We had to switch to zombies, squirrels and small children -- er, only the ones that wanted the ride of course:) My kids love a good catapult launch!

Thanks Lebowsky! It's amazing how annoying these things can be. In the fall, they swarm houses -- seriously!! My mother is scared to death of them, but it's nearly impossible to get rid of them, especially for those who live in old houses. It's just not possible to close off all the cracks and potential entrances.

Thanks Holly! There isn't a day, when I don't have to deal with the stink bugs. I've finally accepted that I'm not going to win the war, so I might as well have fun while fighting the battles.

Thank you Peace Blessing! I agree, that I'm not a fan of stink bugs. This one flew in under my radar because the scent of our dog (who had earlier battled a skunk) was more overpowering than that of the stink bug. Still, I got him in the end! LOL:)

Thanks A. Mac! Not your state's fault, though I certainly wish the stink bugs had chosen the west coast to disembark:)

Do y'all have infestations of stink bugs?

Ugh!

LOL! Thanks BH! I'm afraid his attitude was bugging me, so I had to clean house!

Yikes! Now that is strange, what with y'all being so far north. We had a hornets nest near our house, and they lived much longer than normal. It was well into December before they started dying. I haven't done any research into how the warmth will affect their habits, but I know there's been concerns that bees are missing the pollen of certain flowers that are blooming early. Maybe the bees and hornets are adapting. Something else to look into, I suppose.

No kidding! Our Luke loves to stalk (and eat) stink bugs. Drives me nuts because they always stink bomb him. *sigh*

Oh yeah... *sigh*

I guess that means you don't want to wear one of my new stink bug perfume dispenser broaches:) *grins*

Thanks Theresa! TGIF to you also!

Thanks KO!

*shivers* Well thankfully, we don't see too many tarantulas around here, so I couldn't say. I did find stink bugs on my pepper leaves, but I don't recall any spots on the peppers themselves. Maybe they don't like hot stuff? :-)

I've not seen anything attack stink bugs, other than my cat. In fact, they happily shared a tree with hornets. But I'll confess, I'm not excactly excited about introducting another non-native species. Murphy has such great control of those pesky unintended consequences.

LOL! I haven't seen anything like that in our area. I suspect that predators for stink bugs will be found eventually, but until then, they sure our making a nuisance out of themselves.

Thanks, Soovi! I have two sons, but even they aren't found of stink bugs -- especially since we have a cat that stalks, captures, and hides the bugs in my sons' rooms! :-)

Thanks Grish!

Thanks 58! We're collecting them to use for ammo! *evil grins*

Thanks Cat! They are kind of interesting when you look at them in detail. Even their antennae have different colored markings. This one amused me, because instead of flying off immediately (which most seem to do) he was determined to confront me for ownership of that leaf.

Thanks Don! Sadly, we are having to learn to live with them. The worst is when the new generation hatches and there seems to be swarms of them everywhere -- like a swarm of gnats, only bigger.

Some slight snow this morning, but last weather report I read said only a dusting. Of course, we were supposed to get several inches earlier this week and got flurries. *shrugs* Hard to tell these days:)

Thanks Jackie! They don't like dawn, but be aware, that it doesn't kill them instantly. You need Easy-Off oven cleaner for that, but unfortunately Easy-Off is toxic to most life forms - LOL:)

Thanks, Mrs. D! Well, I won't be sending you any, and I hope you don't ever see any in your area. They really are a pest. I'll try to get pictures in the spring and fall when they swarm to give you an idea. Ugh!

I haven't seen beetles in our area on over a decade -- not sure where they all went. I'm not sure if we've ever had the stink beetles. We certainly don't need any more stinking here - LOL:)

Thanks Vlad and Ombra! The warming trends have made a huge impact on their life cycle. I've seen them ALL WINTER, inside and out! I'm not sure how that will effect the population this summer, but I'm betting it won't be good. *sigh* I suppose as global infestations go, these are one of the least damaging, but somehow I still feel the need to complain - LOL:)

*grins* Thanks Dare! Good to see you! How are you holding up to the season?

I'll confess that I'm one of those, who puts everything off to the last minute, but in your honor, I'll try to have it done before the end of February - LOL:) We had snow last night, but it was 50 degrees today. I just never know what we'll get from one minute to the next -- sometimes literally.

At any rate, hang in there. We've put our battles on hold 'til your done. Maybe we can have a May Day War - GRINS:)

We just might at that -- everything seems to happen when we aren't expecting it - LOL:)

Thanks Neetu! I'm not overly fond of bugs either, but this one was on the plant I was photographing, and I got sidetracked. My photography subjects have expanded since I joined NVP -- in ways I never imagined - LOL:)