Summary report for the Michigan brown marmorated stink bug monitoring network for 2014
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EmailBrown marmorated stink bug trap catches were lower this week, and with the exception of a few hotspots, were not detected in the majority of our trapping sites. Reports of aggregations on commercial and residential buildings continue to come in.
This is the final weekly report of the Michigan State University Extension brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) statewide monitoring program for 2014. The monitoring program consisted of a network of pyramid-style, pheromone-baited traps set up at sites that favored BMSB, near riparian areas and along major transportation corridors in the following counties: Monroe, Lenawee, Oakland, Macomb, Livingston, Ingham, Lapeer, Saginaw and Bay on the east side of the state, and Antrim, Grand Traverse, Leelanau, Benzie, Oceana, Newaygo, Kent, Kalamazoo, Ionia, Ottawa, Allegan, Van Buren and Berrien on the west side of the state.
The majority of the sites in the network included farms that grow a variety of fruit and vegetable crops including apples, tart cherries, sweet cherries, peaches, blueberries, raspberries, tomatoes, peppers and sweet corn. In addition, some of our traps were placed along roadsides next to field crops, or in urban and suburban areas where homeowners had reported seeing BMSB in the past.
The purpose of the monitoring network was to provide early warning should BMSB start showing up in greater numbers in fruit and vegetable production areas. However, except for a few hotspots in Berrien County and two instances of suspected fruit damage by BMSB in Berrien County and eastern Ottawa County, evidence of BMSB was extremely hard to find. Both sites where there was suspected fruit damage, the damage was to late-season peaches from orchard margins near riparian areas. Only four out of the 64 traps checked this past week captured any BMSB – all were in Berrien County.
We have continued to receive reports of BMSB aggregations on manmade structures in urban and suburban landscapes across southern Michigan from Stevensville, Niles, Kalamazoo, Grand Rapids, Lansing and Flint. Aggregations on manmade structures are expected to continue as BMSB gather to find shelter for overwintering. In mid-Atlantic states where this pest is now well-established and of major economic concern to growers, BMSB began as a nuisance pest to homeowners, which is why we are very interested to track its occurrences and numbers here.
If you suspect that BMSB are aggregating on a manmade structure where you live or work, we would like to hear from you!
Here is what to do:
- Record the date and nearest town where the aggregation was found.
- Count the number of individuals you see on a single structure.
- Collect one or two specimens or take several close-up photos of individuals in the aggregation.
- Mail to MSU Plant and Pest Diagnostics, with the address, date, nearest town, and number of individuals observed. Or send photos with the date, nearest town, and number of individuals observed in an email to msubughelp@msu.edu.
To learn more about the brown marmorated stink bug, 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.
The weekly BMSB statewide monitoring report was funded in part through a grant from Project GREEEN and Michigan State University Extension. Traps were set up and monitored by a number of MSU Extension field staff, research assistants, and campus specialists. We would like to acknowledge the following team members and thank them for their weekly scouting efforts and input into this report: Peter McGhee, Michael Haas, Bob Tritten, Mark Longstroth, Brad Baughman, Carlos Garcia, Amy Irish-Brown, Lina Rodriguez Salamanca, Ben Philips, Ben Werling, Mark Whalon, Karen Powers, and Nikki Rothwell.
