Those Darn Stinkbugs Again!
Photo courtesty of jcantroot/Flickr.
I couldn’t resist passing this on. SEEDS in Blacksburg is running a kid’s program today called Stinkbug Invasions. We might as well try to find SOMETHING good about these pests! Their description reads:
Join Biological Sciences’ Dr. Lisa Belden and her students who will amaze and excite us with activities to teach us about how critters travel around the planet. Our Volunteers from VT Biological Sciences, VT College of Natural Resources, and VT Service Learners will also be on hand to help you play and learn using our exhibits, the grounds, and our storybook library.
For those interested, SEEDS programs are for all ages and are usually really good. Admission is free but they welcome donations. Today’s program is from 9:00 am – 1:00 pm at Price House in Blacksburg, 107 Wharton Street. You can park in the driveway, on Wharton Street, on Clay Street at Spout Spring parking strip and on Church Street in the public lot.
SEEDS’ mission is to inspire kids’ love for learning through outdoor nature education, discovery learning and civic awareness. Their main website is at www.seedguys.org and kid’s activities are also on their Facebook page at www.seedskids.org.
As far as our own stinkbugs go, we’re choosing to name them in our home. I prefer to think that I’m catching and releasing the same stinkbugs over and over (Stinky, and his friend, Bruce – what can I say? I have a 7 year old!), versus that there are many that keep coming in the house. Denial is a wonderful thing.
December 8, 2012 - 7:00 AM
Question KH? Been trying to locate a pack of bay leaf seeds[qweet bay I think], like on a display rack in the spring. Can they be grown from seeds? Or are they plants which I’ve found and can’t afford. Can they be rooted? Got a 2′ x 10′ space I thought I’d fill with herbs this spring.
I’ve never seen the seeds advertised, WD. Sandy Mush Herb Nursery in Leicester, NC sells small bay laurel plants pretty reasonably. I’m sure they’re starting them from cuttings so just keep your pocket knife handy the next time you stop by a high end nursery. Just kidding!
DR, if you see any this spring, give me shout. I’ll get some. Don’t use much, only occasionally.
Loved the article about stink bugs and SEEDS. I may have to mention the program to my granddaughter. With this warm weather, the stink bugs are still alive and well here at our house. When we bring in wood, we check for them and give them a nice soapy bath. We still find a couple that fly around the house so they get to go in the woodstove and are added as kindling. We have 2 small black spiders that have spun webs in windows and have found that the stink bugs get caught in the webs and the spiders eat them. We are leaving the spiders and their webs alone.
wd – I’ve never seen bay seeds. Usually you propagate from cuttings, so keep your eyes open for someone with a tree!
Nice spiders! Good spiders! Do they stink when the spider eats them?
I do draw the line at stinkbugs on my toothbrush handle. No minty fresh experience for them. WD, I will definitely keep my eyes open for bay laurels. I think I paid about $10 for the last one I got and kept it going as a potted plant for three or four years.
LOL – no Karen you can’t smell the stink bugs when the spiders eat them. Though the spiders only get about one every 2 months. We end up catching more and throwing them in the wood stove.