Stink bugs, which produce a bad smell when threatened, are causing major damage to farm crops in Japan. By the end of August, 35 of the 47 prefectures had issued stink bug warnings to farmers by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries. The number of stink bugs this year are said to be the highest in a decade, with experts claiming global warming is behind the increase.
Three types of stink bugs are causing the damage to Japanese crops - those that attack soybean plants, those that pierce the skin of fruits and extract their juices, and those that suck nutrients from and discolor rice plants. There are over 1,000 types of stink bugs in Japan, with around 100 of them causing damage to crops, according to Kenji Fujisaki, a professor emeritus at Kyoto University and former head of the Union of Japanese Societies for Insect Sciences. He has researched stink bugs for more than 50 years and recommends the use of yellow fluorescent lights that repel the stink bugs, as well as insect nets and pesticide spraying.
How disgusting! Are stink bugs a problem where you live?
