Farmers worry about many things. Some worry about a lack of rain. Others worry about pests that eat the crops. Farmers in the UK have a new worry - stink bugs. For the first time, stink bugs have arrived in the UK. They are not native to the UK. They came from China, Japan or Korea. These smelly insects are now a threat to fruit and vegetable crops in England. The insects get their name from the bad smell they create when they are in danger. Stink bugs were accidentally introduced to the USA in the mid-1990s. They are now a problem for farmers in 44 states.
Stink bugs eat by piercing the surface of fruits and vegetables and sucking out the juice. This makes the fruit rotten. It means farmers cannot sell the crops. The fruit often ends up as juice. An insect expert said there is no risk to our health from stink bugs feeding on fruit and vegetables. He said: "If you eat a damaged fruit, there's no risk to your health. The fruit just doesn't look beautiful." He said stink bugs have a wide diet and can eat over one hundred different types of plants. He added that: "With climate change and global trade, these stories are going to become more frequent."