Michigan brown marmorated stink bug report for August 31, 2015
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EmailFew brown marmorated stink bugs were caught in two monitoring network traps in Berrien County this week.
In the ninth week of monitoring, two brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) nymphs and one adult were collected from two traps out of the 53 being monitored in the major fruit production regions and nearby urban areas this week. Both traps were located at urban sites in Stevensville, Michigan, where BMSB have been reported previously.
Damage to fruit from BMSB feeding can be confused with several disease or nutrient deficiencies, depending on the particular fruit that is affected, so it is important to involve your local Michigan State University Extension fruit educator to help determine what caused the damage or to send samples to the MSU plant diagnostic lab (MSU Diagnostic Services). Visual inspection of orchard edges for the presence of fruit injury, or for the insects themselves, is recommended, but for most of the state, numbers are still well below levels that would trigger specific control measures against BMSB. Current management practices aimed at other late-season insect pests are likely to be providing some protection against the few BMSB that may be present in orchards near known hotspots such as in Berrien County.
The area of influence for a single baited trap appears to be relatively small, so it is important when using them to monitor for this pest to place them near favored plant hosts and to combine trapping with other sampling methods such as limb-jarring of fruit trees or sweep-netting in orchard edges close to woodlots or riparian areas.
For more information about management of BMSB should populations reach levels that would require control, please refer to the MSU Extension Bulletin E0154, “2015 Michigan Fruit Management Guide.” To learn more about how to monitor for BMSB, distinguish it from other similar-looking stink bugs and what plants it favors, visit MSU’s Brown Marmorated Stink Bug website
The purpose of the Michigan State University Extension brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) monitoring network and weekly report is to provide early warning should population increases of BMSB occur in areas where susceptible crops are grown. Based on what is currently known about the biology of BMSB and its favored crop and non-crop habitats, commercial fruit and vegetable plantings have been selected that are adjacent to riparian habitats, woodland, soybean fields, major transportation corridors, or various combinations of these attributes. Traps are baited with a commercially available lure and have been set up in apple, stone fruits (peach, plum, sweet and tart cherry), blueberry, grape, strawberry and a variety of vegetable crops. Several urban locations where BSMB were reported last year are also being monitored.
