Manage Brown Marmorated Stink Bug Without Abandoning IPM
January 5, 2015 
Brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) has been especially troublesome for Eastern peach growers. This invasive species that prefers to feed on peaches and apples can now be found in more than 40 states. The insect has few natural enemies, is highly mobile and can fly up to five kilometers per day.
Because BMSB is so difficult to control, you may believe you have to take steps that run counter to IPM programs you’ve worked hard to establish. But that’s not necessarily the case, according to Anne Nielsen of the Entomology Department at Rutgers University.
“IPM is not dead!” she said during her presentation, “How To Manage BMSB And Not Abandon IPM,” at the Great Lakes Expo in December.
Trapping is an effective way to monitor and manage the pest, she says. Nielsen’s research team tested a coroplast pyramid trap from AgBio, Inc. and found it, indeed, attracted the pests. Benefits of the traps for growers, she says, include reduced insecticide use, reduced costs, and a reduced impact on the environment. Other traps are available from RESCUE.
Nielsen says she wanted to evolve a strategy for IPM, so her research has focused on seasonality, monitoring, and management. Her research followed the life cycle of BMSB. Egg production began at the end of May and lasted until late August. She saw that the pest feeds throughout the season but also feeds early, causing damage deep in the peaches not visible on the outside.
Research also noted that BMSB moves from the outside into the orchard. Nielsen’s team sprayed the perimeter of the orchard with the insecticide and found that 75% of adult BMSB was stopped at the edge. This method also resulted in using less insecticide overall. The long feeding season and early start of egg production call for repeated application, she says. Insecticides lose their effect on BMSB after a short period of time, so using several products at different times is necessary. Nielsen’s research found that Danitol worked well early in the season; Voliam Xpress, Perm-Up and Assail in the middle of the season; Actara at the end of July; and Actara, Danitol, Lannate, and Venerate pre-harvest.
Knowing these tendencies of BSMB and monitoring the efficiency of insecticides used can greatly evolve the strategy of your IPM program, Nielsen says.
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