A Pentatomidae Vendetta

I was recently reminded that last year at the beginning of fall stink bugs make their way through the cracks in the old windows of my apartment.  What reminded me was the stink bugs crawling through  the cracks in the old windows of my apartment. These bugs have a lowly existence. They crawl around looking for food and if they feel threatened, they squirt out this liquid, which stinks like crazy.

The cats took a brief interest in them last year. Sid quickly learned they were not much fun. But Butters had an experience that went something like this:

Oh a bug! I'm going to eat it!

Yuck!
Oh a bug! I'm going to eat it!

Yuck!
Oh a bug! I'm going to eat it!

Yuck!

You can give her points for determination, I suppose.

Patty asked me about the bugs one day. "What are these bugs that are invading?" I told her they are stink bugs. "How do we get rid of them?" Kill them on sight. Whenever I see one in the house now, I grab a tissue, grab the bug, and squeeze until I hear a crack. One less stink bug.

Evidently, they feed on "plant juice," so it's not clear what is attracting them to the computer room upstairs. They might be hatching from eggs on the trees just outside, and our apartment is the closest stop.

I woke up last night around 4:30. I rubbed my hand across my face, discovering a stink bug had found its way to the nook between my nose and the inner corner of my right eye. The stink bug was startled by this. Fuck. I grabbed it, threw it onto the floor, and ran to the bathroom. By the time I get my some fresh running water to my eye, it's too late. I can feel the stink poison stinging my eye. Thoughts run through my head about losing sight in my right eye, but I dismiss them as improbable. I rinse my eye for a few minutes more, then head back to bed. Damn that stink bug.

The inner corner of my right eye is still sore, and that bug is still in my house. I'm going hunting tonight.