How marmorated stink bugs survive the winter

Hello, I’m Amanda McNulty with Clemson Extension and Making It Grow. When we had that really, really cold weather recently I found dead marmorated stink bugs in some rooms. The downstairs, where we have some gas space heaters, was not over 52 degrees for days, and the upstairs, much colder. These invasive species bugs are too smart to stay outside when winter comes but find their ways into houses and protected buildings. They’re very damaging to agriculture, as unlike kudzu bugs, which have a somewhat selective palate, these guys use their nasty piercing and sucking mouthpart to suck juice out of all sorts of fruits, vegetables, ruining them for consumption. It would be virtually impossible to follow the directions on sealing off the places they use to come into our “new” old house, and indoor pesticides are not recommended at all.