A Stinky Situation
Even the smallest creatures have special ways to defend themselves against predators. Spiders
bite. Bees sting. Stink bugs … stink.
Unlike spiders and bees, stink bugs do not actually hurt other creatures when they defend
themselves. When a stink bug is in danger, it releases a mix of chemicals from its body. This mix of
chemicals has a very bad odor. When predators like mice, lizards, or birds smell the odor, they do
not want to eat the stink bug.
The bad smell produced by a stink bug also helps keep other stink bugs out of danger. When a stink
bug releases its odor, other stink bugs in the area know that there is trouble. They will run away from
the danger.
Although stink bugs do not bite or sting, they are still a pest to human beings. Because stink bugs
eat fruits and vegetables like beans and berries, they can damage a farmer’s crops. When winter
comes and the crops are gone, stink bugs often move into people’s houses. It is often very difficult to
get stink bugs out of a house. It can be dangerous to use insect poison to kill stink bugs inside your
house. Plus, as you might guess, if you kill a stink bug in your house, your house will not smell very
good.
One way you can try to keep stink bugs out of your house is to use their own defense against them.
Since the bug’s stink can be used as a warning to other stink bugs, you can try squishing a lot of
stink bugs outside your house. This way, other stink bugs will smell the odor and know that your
house is not where they want to be.
1. As used in paragraph 2, another word for odor is
a) scent
b) warning
c) poison
d) appearance
2. According to the passage, stink bugs are different from spiders and bees because they
a) can both bite and sting
b) can live indoors as well as outdoors
c) defend themselves without hurting others
d) eat crops like beans and berries instead of other insects
3. According to the passage, stink bugs are pests to humans because they
I. are difficult to get rid of inside the home
II. eat fruits and vegetables
III. produce a smell that is poisonous to humans
a) I only
b) I and II only
c) II and III only
d) I, II, and III
4. In this passage, the author talks about
a) what stink bugs eat first, then how they defend themselves next
b) how stink bugs defend themselves first, then how to get rid of them next
c) how to get rid of stink bugs first, then what they eat next
d) how stink bugs defend themselves first, then what they eat next
5. Which animal defends itself in a way most similar to the stink bug?
a) the aphid, which causes a lot of damage to crops like berries, melons, and apples
b) the dart frog, which is covered in bright colors that let predators know it should not be
eaten
c) the bark scorpion, which can kill predators with the poisonous stinger on its tail
d) the chameleon, which can blend in with its surroundings, hiding itself from predators
without hurting them
6. Name one animal that you think has a better defense than the stink bug. What makes it better?
there is a type of termite that explode to save the others,I think it is a quite peculiar and
interesting defense mechanism.
[Link] are some insects that have a bitter taste and others who eat certain plant
chemicals that are harmful to predators.
