They are not attracted to humidity, houseplants, or radiators. Warmth alone does not lure them in from outside. They remain where humans sleep and rest because that is where their food source is. If no humans are present, bedbugs cannot survive long-term.
This is where the confusion becomes obvious. The insect described in the article behaves in the opposite way. Green stink bugs are outdoor insects. They live on plants, feed on vegetation, and are commonly found in gardens, fields, and wooded areas. They have nothing to do with mattresses or blood.
They are attracted to warmth and light, which explains why they gather near radiators, lamps, and sunny windows. Unlike bedbugs, they do not hide in furniture or bite humans for sustenance. Their presence is annoying, not parasitic.
Another major difference is how they respond to smells. Green stink bugs are commonly repelled by strong scents such as mint, lavender, vinegar, and eucalyptus. These substances can be effective deterrents. Bedbugs, by contrast, are not reliably repelled by household scents and usually require professional treatment to eliminate.
Mislabeling stink bugs as bedbugs escalates fear unnecessarily. Bedbugs carry a social stigma, are notoriously difficult to eliminate, and often require extensive cleaning, disposal of furniture, and professional extermination. Stink bugs do not. They do not reproduce indoors in the same way, and they do not infest beds or clothing.
Accurate identification changes everything. If you are seeing green insects, finding them near windows, or noticing them in the fall rather than year-round, you are not dealing with bedbugs. The solution is sealing entry points, reducing indoor light attraction, and using natural repellents.
The correction is simple but essential: Palomena species are green stink bugs, not bedbugs. They behave differently, live differently, and require entirely different responses. Calling them bedbugs is biologically incorrect and practically harmful.
Clear facts matter. Knowing what insect you are facing determines whether you need calm prevention or serious intervention. In this case, the difference is the gap between a seasonal nuisance and a true household parasite.
