Michigan brown marmorated stink bug report for July 21, 2015

No brown marmorated stink bugs have been found in traps in the monitoring network in the third week of trapping.

This is the third weekly report of the Michigan State University Extension brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) monitoring network. No BSMB were captured over the past week in any of the more than 60 traps set up near crops that would be favored by this pest. Sporadic reports continue to come in of BMSB adults found in Michigan homes, particularly in urban-suburban areas. BMSB are known to overwinter in structures and become a residential nuisance pest before they become a serious agricultural pest.

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. Counties being monitored in 2015 are Allegan, Antrim, Benzie, Berrien, Clare, Grand Traverse, Ingham, Ionia, Kent, Lapeer, Leelanau, Lenawee, Livingston, Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, Oceana, Ottawa and Van Buren. Traps are set up in apples, stone fruits (peaches, plums, sweet and tart cherries), blueberries, grapes, strawberries and a variety of vegetable crops. Several urban locations where BMSB were reported last year are also being monitored.

Several of our native stink bugs can be confused with the brown marmorated stink bug, but recently a second edition of a stink bug pocket ID guide was published by Virginia Tech that can help distinguish among some of the more common species. The 40-page guide is available for free to download and is titled: “Field Guide to Stink Bugs of Agricultural Importance in the Upper Southern Region and Mid-Atlantic States.”

To learn more about how to monitor for BMSB, distinguish it from other similar-looking stink bugs, what crops it favors and management strategies should populations reach the threshold where management is necessary, visit MSU’s Brown Marmorated Stink Bug website.

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