Concerns have been raised following sightings of several stink bugs on trees along the old railway route, near Betzdorf Walk.

Ross-on-Wye resident Charlie Fayce spotted a number of stink bugs, also known as shield bugs, on the underside of various tree’s leaves as he was walking his dog last Monday (June 27). As well as the bugs, he also spotted a large number of their eggs which have been laid on the underside of tree leaves.

A number of leaves have been seen to have brown spots in them as a result of the eggs hatching and a number of cherries have been sucked dry.

Their full name, the adult brown marmorated stink bugs, are approximately 1.7cm long and about as wide. They look somewhat like a shield. Native to China, Japan and Korea, brown marmorated stink bugs are fast-breeding insects that come in various shades of brown. They get their name from the foul smell they exude when they feel threatened.

During the summer, they feast on fruits and vegetables such as apples, pears, peaches, tomatoes, and sweetcorn by piercing the surface and sucking out the juice. They distort the produce and leave behind rotting spots and blemishes which can make the plant inedible or unsellable.

Mr Fayce was particularly concerned how this would affect British farmers. These concerns have been echoed by researchers; the species has a wide diet of over a hundred types of crops and ornamental flowers and could damage a large number of plants in gardens and on farms in the UK. In the hopes of avoiding millions of pounds of economic damage, expert have started researching how to manage the species.

One of the reasons stink bugs are considered pests is because they cluster around window frames in large numbers and leave droppings. They produce unpleasant-smelling oils when threatened, which stains furniture, this can occur when people try to clear the bugs away. These oils can be difficult to remove if they come in contact with skin.