Brown Marmorated Stink Bug Video Series: Overwintering and Spread

Brown Marmorated Stink Bug Video Series: Part 1

Part 1: History and Identification

Stink Bug Traps in Gardens may Increase Damage to Tomatoes

March 25, 2014 by Entomology Today  

 

The invasive brown marmorated stink bug (Halyomorpha halys) is an important pest of fruits and vegetables.

To counter them, some home gardeners use pheromone-baited traps that are designed to attract, trap, and kill them. However, new research from entomologists at the University of Maryland suggests that the traps may actually increase stink bug damage to tomatoes.

The researchers asked 15 gardeners to place stink bug traps at the ends of rows of tomatoes, while another group of 14 placed no traps in their gardens. Both groups experienced nearly the same amount of stink bugs on the tomato plants themselves, but the the abundance of stink bugs on the tomato fruits was marginally greater in the gardens with traps, and the fruits sustained significantly more injury than tomato fruits grown in gardens without traps. Furthermore, tomato fruits on plants near the traps housed more stink bugs than tomato fruits on plants that were away from the traps.

“We found no evidence that stink bug traps protected tomatoes from H. halys,” the authors wrote, “and it appears that the addition of traps to gardens may increase injury to tomato fruits.”

The increased damage may have resulted, in part, because of a phenomenon known as “trap spillover,” which can occur when pests arrive in the general vicinity of a trap and rest on vegetation before entering and being captured by the trap.

“This study presents evidence that placement of an attract-and-kill stink bug trap near a plant may actually result in greater abundance of stink bugs on the fruit,” the researchers wrote. “Vegetable gardens with traps may sustain more injury than those without traps.”

The research will appear in the April issue of Environmental Entomology.

Read more at:
- Traps and Trap Placement May Affect Location of Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) and Increase Injury to Tomato Fruits in Home Gardens

Brown Marmorated Stink Bug Control- Keeping Them Out of Your House

My email is starting to fill up with reports of brown marmorated stink bug activity over the last week. It looks like the brief warm up has got these little buggers moving. We get lots of questions and concerns about BMSB in homes. Check out this video from the University of Maryland:

New Video on the Biological Control of the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug

Growers who use biological control methods could stop brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB), reduce costs, and put fewer chemicals into the environment. Learn to identify several native predators and parasitoids of BMSB in various crops and nurseries. Using less insecticide could help these natural enemies of BMSB. Methods such as cultural controls, trap cropping, and monitoring as part of a biological control strategy could keep BMSB populations in check.

See the new video on Biological Control of BMSB:

http://www.stopbmsb.org/video

Last Seasonal Issue of the Home, Yard, and Garden Newsletter

Issue no. 17 of the Home, Yard & Garden Newsletter is now available on the Web. Point your browser to:

http://hyg.ipm.illinois.edu

IN THIS ISSUE:

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Last Issue for 2013

http://hyg.ipm.illinois.edu/article.php?id=543

This is the seventeenth and last issue of the Home, Yard, and Garden Pest Newsletter for 2013. Included is an index of this year's topics. We anticipate resuming publication in April 2014. Thanks for your interest and reports of pest situations that help us be more relevant to your situation.

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New Pest Management Guide in 2014

http://hyg.ipm.illinois.edu/article.php?id=544

A new revision of the Illinois Commercial Landscape and Turfgrass Pest Management Handbook will be available in 2014. We are currently on target for publication in January 2014. The last edition was in 2010, so it will be contain new insect pests, diseases, and weeds of trees, shrubs, turf, and flowers. Pesticide recommendations are updated to reflect current commercially available materials.

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White Grubs

http://hyg.ipm.illinois.edu/article.php?id=545

The drought of 2012 and reduced irrigation of turf during that time greatly reduced the emergence of Japanese beetle adults and production of associated grubs this year. Masked chafers are influenced less by dry weather, and their grubs are present, generally in relatively low numbers.

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They're Back ... First Detector Workshops Scheduled for 2014

http://hyg.ipm.illinois.edu/article.php?id=546

As promised, we have news on the upcoming 2014 First Detector Workshops. Dates have been officially set, and plans are taking place to make this second installment of the Illinois First Detector Workshops a success.

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Fall is Officially Here When the Stink Bugs Start to Appear

http://hyg.ipm.illinois.edu/article.php?id=547

Over the past couple of weeks, I've received several reports of Brown Marmorated Stink Bugs (BMSB) being found in or near homes. It's a sure sign that the seasons are changing and these home invaders are searching for their winter vacation spots.

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Water Now to Help Prevent Winter Burn to Evergreen Trees and Shrubs

http://hyg.ipm.illinois.edu/article.php?id=548

In the May 13th issue of the newsletter I wrote about winter burn, a form of winter injury that commonly affects broadleaved evergreens such as rhododendrons and boxwoods. This type of injury can also affect narrow leaved evergreens such as yew, arborvitae and hemlock. It is more severe on drought stressed plants. Last year's drought and dry start to the winter likely contributed to the symptoms of winter burn and even the death of many evergreens in our area.

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Index 2013

http://hyg.ipm.illinois.edu/article.php?id=549

An index to the pests and other topics addressed in the 2013 issues of the Home, Yard, and Garden Pest Newsletter is provided.

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Fall is Officially Here When the Stink Bugs Start to Appear

I've received several reports of Brown Marmorated Stink Bugs (BMSB) being found in homes over the past couple of days. It's a sure sign that the seasons are changing and these home invaders are searching for their winter vacation spots.

It's during this time of year that we see insects hanging out on the sides of houses, garages, and window sills on sunny days, checking out places to spend the winter. While boxelder bugs and multicolored Asian lady beetles first come to mind, in several areas of the state, BMSB is starting to make its presence known as well. Typically, the adults will begin to move to overwintering locations in September, with peak movement in late September and October. Homeowners may start to see BMSB begin gathering on homes, barns, and garages during this time. In the spring, adults will begin to emerge from their overwinter locations as temperatures begin to warm. 

 A great resource for homeowners is a publication from Cornell University. It's important to remember that it is geared towards homeowners in the east - in Illinois, we've yet to have a circumstance where treating the landscape outside the home has been needed to decrease the number of BMSB home invaders.

The Unwelcome House Guest: Brown Marmorated Stink Bug

—A Guide for Residents, Property Managers,

and Pest Management Professionals

 

BMSB has been making headlines in Illinois for a couple of years. After the first confirmation of this invasive insect was reported in the fall of 2010 (Cook County), additional reports continued in 2011 (Kane, McLean, and Champaign counties). In late 2012, BMSB was confirmed in Jacksonville (Morgan County) and the first report has also come out of the Quad Cities area (Scott County, Iowa).

Brown marmorated stink bug confirmed in shaded counties.

  

Currently, the known distribution of this insect in Illinois is limited. Homeowners are our primary source of information during the fall and spring. We are very interested in where these insects may be and continue to try to determine where they are in Illinois. If you believe you have BMSB, we would be very interested in looking at it. To positively confirm any insect as BMSB, we need to look at an actual specimen. Suspect stink bugs may be sent to Kelly Estes, 1816 S. Oak St., Champaign, IL 61820. Please put stink bugs in a crush-proof container (pill bottle, check box, etc). You can also send a photo to kcook8@illinois.edu for preliminary screening if you wish.