Solved Shieldbugs

Unbelievably, I have found about ten grey coloured shieldbugs on a cushion indoors! Are they trying to hibernate? They looked a bit slow and drugged! How did they get in? Could the eggs have been laid indoors?! I have just left them there.

 

I wouldn't leave them there. You need to collect them and put them outside. They are also known as stink bugs so be very careful and use gloves to remove them.

 

The last two years have seen a massive invasion of shield bugs here. Not only in the garden, but as you found, ClematisDbee, in the house. There must have been literally hundreds tucked up in the attic over last winter because for several months through the spring I was clearing up between 20 and 50 a day as they emerged into the rest of the house. They don't seem to have any natural predators, probably because of the smell they emit when threatened. The jury's out on whether they damage plants or not but they're certainly a damned nuisance when they conceal themselves in washing!

 

Have noticed a few of them up here in the North over the last couple of years, but despite their name have not found them to be harmful or stinky to us.

Sometimes when moving or brushing past a tall plant etc if we get one on us we just brush it off, they seem quiet docile.
Appears they are just sap suckers and some gardening experts suggest the odd few on a plant do not cause it serious harm.

 

Thankyou everyone. I can't believe it but they have disappeared almost as quickly as I found them. Maybe the cushion wasn't cosy enough for them, or perhaps with the cushion being moved about, they were disturbed. I expect they are somewhere on the sofa but I haven't got round to looking.

The good news was that they didn't emit a smell, but maybe they only do that if threatened. Mine seemed to be dark grey, but most of them I have seen on reference websites are various shades of green.

It is possible I brought them in unwittingly, via my clothing, from the garden. I have never seen them actually in the garden though, so it is a bit mysterious!

I do have a few houseplants, so will keep an eye on them for signs of predation. The shieldbugs looked really drugged up to me - I am sure they were in a state of hibernation when I saw them on the cushion.

 

I dont see many of these, just from time to time mostly in the summer.
Never noticed a smell.

I was under the impression that they can fly, but dont most of the time, preferring to just crawl around, similar to ladybirds in that respect.

 

Yes, they reminded me of ladybirds in that respect. Not had any ladybirds hibernating yet. I saw a few green shieldbugs in the garden in summer. Suddenly thought, maybe the green ones turn grey in winter when they hibernate!

 

I think they do change colour, but not sure.

 

I popped a raspberry in my mouth one day in the garden but it tasted horrible and burny so I spat it out ... only to find there was a shield bug on it that I hadn't noticed. Blaugh !
I've never detected a smell with them though ...

 

There are quite a few different species. The colours vary from pistachio-green to grey to brown. The babies look like little, flattened blackish ladybirds with white spots. Shieldbug Identification: 10 Common UK Types - Woodland Trust

 

We have also seen loads more Shieldbugs in the last couple of years @noisette47, many coming indoors for the winter. They really don't mind where they land when flying if the light's on! They don't all give off the smell, trouble is if you pick one up to put outside you don't know!

 

I am wondering if the ones I saw were either 'Bronze' or 'Spiked' as per the specimens on this chart:

https://www.field-studies-council.org/shop/publications/shieldbugs-guide/

 

Shieldbugs - illustrated life stages

Some of these do change appearance and colours/patterns.

Wish I could have taken a photo...oh well...