A Decline in Stink Bugs

FAIRFAX, Va. (August 14, 2013) – According to the Roanoke Times, the number of stink bugs is declining in many areas of the country. Populations of any species fluctuate in nature and how many individuals survive to breed can depend on multiple factors such as climate, availability of food, and interaction with other species.

Eric Day from the Department of Entomology at Virginia Tech suggests that this recent decline in stink bugs may be linked to predatory wasps and birds. The high number of stink bugs could have caught the attention of animals and other insects looking for a food source. Stink bugs are not native to the United States, so it may have taken the predators several years to realize they are edible.

An increase in predation is a very common reason for population decline and could be the cause of the lower numbers seen this summer.