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Health & Fitness

Kudzu Bugs: A New Pest on the Way? --- by Ryan Hopper --- Muhlenberg College Class of '16

Move over Stink Bugs, a new bug could be moving to the Lehigh Valley

The Lehigh Valley is fully aware of the famous Brown Marmorated Stink Bug, but another relative may be moving into town. The Kudzu Bug, Megacopta cribraria, may be making its way towards Pennsylvania. Wayne Allan Gardner, University of Georgia, predicts the bugs will arrive Lehigh Valley area sometime in the next year. Kudzu Bugs and Stink Bugs are closely related, but not in the same family. The Kudzu Bug has a large armored shell on its back, two red eyes, a long sucker used to tap into the sweet sources of the plants phloem and a beak used to rip plants open. Similar to stink bugs, Kudzu Bugs excrete a potent odor when threatened. This odor is not only unpleasant, but has also been proven to cause irritation if applied directly to the skin. The two also share a similar history. Kudzu Bugs are native to the Japan and Korean peninsula, and were transported here by accident on international shipping containers.

Before panic breaks out about the arrival of another pest it, is important to keep in mind that the bugs are not here yet. Once transported to the United States, the bugs were first spotted in warm Georgia in 2009, they thrive in this climate. This makes it difficult for the bugs to survive up north. But recently the bugs have been spotted moving up north. The bugs have coped with the colder, harsher weather not found in Georgia by adapting to lay their eggs in oak trees, rather than kudzu or soybean plants, or even in the nicks and crannies of our homes. They are also able to move due to their main food source, kudzu vine, moving north.

If the Kudzu Bug  is able to make it to Pennsylvania it is important to be prepared for obstacles that may be encountered. The Kudzu Bugs are huge pests, known to destroy mostly soybean plants and some trees, however they have no significant affect on any other crops. They also act as a nuisance since they are known to travel in large packs, during certain times of the year, and cover everything! Gardner claims that the bugs can even act like a blanket and cover the side of a home.

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Kudzu Bugs also directly affect people, their spray and beaks can cause skin irritation or welts. They do, however, offer a positive service by feeding on incredibly fast growing and invasive kudzu plants. The plant, which is actually a vine, will wrap around trees and other plants and girdle or even uproot the entire plant, leading to its demise. While I am not sure how you feel about plants in Pennsylvania, but I would much rather have these bugs instead of the pesky kudzu vine.

The biggest question on everyone’s mind is; will the Kudzu Bug eliminate the stink bug from the area? While we cannot be exactly sure of how both of the bugs will interact with each other, it is believed that they will not compete with each other. The two bugs have different primary food sources for starters, the kudzu bug’s diet consist mostly of kudzu and soybeans. The stinkbug’s diet, on the other hand, consists of fruits like apples, peaches, berries, peppers as well as beans and pecans. These diets are not set in stone, and it is possible for one bug to consume the others food sources.

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If these bugs do move into the Lehigh Valley, it is important to know how to remove these pests from your home. If one is found, it is important not to crush the bug, because if crushed they can cause skin irritation, and even stain certain surfaces, like rugs and walls. Instead contact an exterminator, who will remove the bugs, and provide solutions to prevent the bugs from reentering your household.

One important fact about the Kudzu Bug is that if they are to arrive they may not be seen very often. According to experts, Kudzu Bugs will not be seen during the winter and spring since they will be dormant, and will not be noticeable during the summer because they will not create swarms. The bugs will be noticeable mostly in the fall when they swarm around sunny spots to stay warm during the cool fall days. Also predators have been spotted preying upon the Kudzu Bugs, like the crab spider, keeping these pests in check. Keeping this in mind, if the Kudzu Bugs are out of sight, will they really be on our minds? Only time will tell.

Kudzu Bugs: A New Pest on the Way? by Ryan Hopper is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.



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