Overview
- European and German authorities now list the marmorated stink bug (Halyomorpha halys) as established and widespread in Germany, with high autumn counts reported in cities including Cologne, Berlin and Stuttgart.
- The insect feeds on more than 300 plant species and damages fruit by piercing tissue and injecting enzyme‑rich saliva, which causes deformities, discoloration and unmarketable crops.
- Each autumn adults seek sheltered overwintering sites and enter houses through small gaps and rolladen boxes, creating large household aggregations that are a nuisance but not a direct health risk to people.
- Authorities advise against using indoor insecticides and recommend non‑chemical removal (capture with a glass and card), sealing gaps, installing fine insect screens and documenting sightings on platforms such as iNaturalist and Naturgucker.
- The species arrived from East Asia by hitchhiking on goods and transport, lacks many effective local predators in Europe, and its spread raises concern for growers while research into targeted biological controls continues.