Stink Bugs Creeping Into Homes Around Metro Detroit

DETROIT (WWJ) - They won't bite you or cause damage to your home -- but metro Detroiters are getting a fresh crop of insects that stink this fall.

And stink bugs -- well, they stink.

They're not known to transmit disease but they do produce a "pungent, malodorous chemical and when handling the bug, the odor is transferred readily," according to Michigan State University Extension.

You may have been seeing them around your house -- they're the brown marmorated stink bug and they look like they have a shield on their backside and they have white bands on their antennae.

According to MSUE the stink bug was first discovered in this state in 2011 -- it's native to Japan and Asia.

"Also known by its scientific name, Halyomorpha halys, BMSB adults and nymphs – the immature stages of the bug – feed on a number of important fruit, vegetable and ornamental crops. Where it has been established for some time, it is now a major pest for growers of susceptible crops."

While they won't go after humans or pets they do cause damage to plants and fruit, and the adult stink bugs tend to seek shelter inside houses in the fall.

[How to prevent and get rid of stink bugs]

So the best bet may be to transfer the little stinkers outside and not hit the stinky bugger with your shoe.