Jon Clements, Extension Educator, UMASS
Reprinted from Healthy Fruit, Volume 20, Number 19. September 18, 2012
https://list.umass.edu/mailman/listinfo/healthyfruit
Editors Note: I have been seeing a large number of the native brown stink bug on ripening apples feeding on Asian pears at the Rutgers Snyder farm, as confirmed yesterday by our fruit IPM Program Associate, Dr. Atanas Atanassov
I have observed an incredible number of stink bugs in recently unsprayed peach orchards and to a lesser extent in apples. These are green and brown stink bugs, not the feared brown marmorated stink bug, BMSB (yet). But these stink bugs feed on fruit too and can cause economic damage if left unchecked.
Quoting from Michael Fargione’s e-mail news out of the Hudson Valley: “Stink bugs (particularly green stink bug and brown marmorated stink bug) are now causing significant economic damage to apples and pears in some blocks in our region. Growers should examine harvested fruit in the bins and scout unharvested blocks, particularly in Orange and Ulster Counties. Rapid treatment with an effective material like Danitol (10 2/3 to 21 1/3 oz per acre, 14 day PHI) or another effective, labeled pyrethroid or pyrethroid pre-mix is warranted if scouting shows the presence of stink bugs or fruit damage (bugs can be harder to find) and sufficient PHI exists.
Entomologist Peter Jentsch has speculated that evening treatments may be more effective as these insects tend to be more active migrating and feeding at night.” I have found the new website: http://stopbmsb.org to be especially Useful for BMSB information, you should check it out.
Editors Note: it appears our BMSB populations are down for some reason. As the BMSB starts to cluster for the fall our observations and injury usually go up. Growers should be vigilant on late ripening blocks.
Editor Win Cowgill, Professor and Area Fruit Agent
