ATHENS, Ga. (AP) - A University of Georgia researcher is warning that a species of stink bug could soon be marching into homes across the state.

Entomologist Rick Hoebeke tells the Athens Banner-Herald (http://bit.ly/tVW5oF) that swarms of brown marmorated stink bugs are probably going to be seeking wintertime refuge inside Georgia homes.

He said the bugs, about a half-inch long, have been known to show up in such numbers that homeowners in Pennsylvania have used buckets and brooms to sweep them off porches.

Hoebeke said that in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Maryland and other mid-Atlantic states where the bug already is well-established, the brown marmorated stink bug has caused millions of dollars in damage.

He said the bugs have been spreading south, and have already been seen in the Atlanta area.