BSMB Monitoring and Management
Effective Brown Marmorated Stink Bug Monitoring and Management in Massachusetts
Brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB), is widely distributed throughout the United States. Its greatest agricultural impact has thus far been concentrated in the Mid-Atlantic states. However, its ability to travel long distances in a day’s time, give it the potential to become economically damaging where previously it has been considered to be a nuisance pest in homes and other urban settings. Additionally, milder winters may contribute to decreased overwintering mortality rates. Trapping and monitoring for this pest are two important means to determine if BMSB requires management in your orchard.
Trapping
During harvest season BMSB populations begin to move more into orchards and other cropping systems, particularly when wild food stores are exhausted and additional carbohydrate sources are needed for successful overwintering. This is also when we see them showing up in traps. The UMass Extension fruit team, in cooperation with private consultants, has established a trapping network across the state. Each location has a “tedders” trap (also sometimes referred to as a pyramid trap) equipped with an aggregation pheromone and kill strip. These traps are made up of a corrugated plastic pyramid shaped base with a rectangular canister on top. This cannister is retrofitted with ventilation screens to allow the aggregation pheromone placed inside to escape into the atmosphere to draw bugs in to their final resting place. The kill strip prevents them from strolling back out when they realize dinner has not been served. These traps should be deployed prior to expected movement of BMSB from wooded edges into the orchard. Once damage has been observed, it is too late to treat that particular wave of pests. Prevention of the next possible influx of damaging insects should then be the main focus. We are also currently experimenting with a new monitoring method known as the “ghost trap”. This trap is based on the attract and kill concept, using the same aggregation pheromone and a length of netting that has been infused with a pyrethroid. This method is currently only available in Massachusetts for population monitoring research.
Monitoring and Action Thresholds
Unfortunately, waiting until damage from stink bug feeding to become visible is not an effective IPM practice, the damage has already been done. Feeding occurs a week or more prior to visible symptoms. At harvest this is especially problematic as apples may be in storage for some time before damage is noticed. A more conservative approach must be taken if feeding damage has been observed in past years - or, if you have seen BMSB in the orchard. One BMSB observed in 100’ of canopy (perimeter) row scouted is sufficient to warrant a border row insecticide application. Monitoring emphasis should be placed on blocks where suspicious, or confirmed, stink bug damage has occured.
Management
Biological enemies of BMSB:
Trissolcus japonicus, another insect imported from the home range of BMSB, has been shown in lab studies to preferentially parasitize BMSB eggs. This is good news as the female Samurai Wasp (as it is more commonly known) lays her eggs in the eggs of BMSB, largely sparing our native predatory stink bugs. Once teh Samurai Wasp lays her eggs inside the BMSB eggs, they hatch and the larvae feed on developing BMSB within thier protcetive egg shells. The T.japonicus larvae eventually mature and emerge from the BMSB egg shells as adults which then procede to lay more eggs in more BMSB eggs... And so on. Samurai wasp can have up to four generations a season, outdoing BMSB’s one to two genrations a year. Other, native U.S. parasitoid wasps also oviposite in BMSB egg masses. There are also a number of other native insects from earwigs to grasshoppers to othe rstink bugs that feed on the BMSB eggs, and in some cases, nymphs as well. And,when it comes to home invasions of BMSB, spiders can be handy in preying on those foolish enough to fall into and get caught in webs.
Chemical Management:
| IRAC | Trade Name | Rate | REI-Hours | PHI-Days | Efficacy | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| none | Surround 95WP | 25 to 50 lb. | 4 | 0 | moderate | OMRI listed |
| 3 | *Warrior II | 1.3 to 2.5 fl. oz. | 24 | 21 | moderate | |
| 3A | Baythroid XL | 1,4 to 2,8 fl oz | 12 | 7 | moderate | 14 days application interval |
| 3A | *Asana XL | 4.8 to 14.5 | 12 | 21 | moderate | |
| 4A | Belay | 6 fl oz | 12 | 7 | good | max. 12 fl oz per acre per season |
| 3A | Danitol 2.4EC | 10.7 to 21.3 fl. oz | 24 | 14 | moderate | |
| 4A | Actara 25WDG | 4.5 to 5.5 | 12 | varies by rate | moderate | |
| 4A + 3A | *Endigo ZC | 5 to 6 fl. oz. | 24 | 35 | high | |
| 3A/28 | Voliam Xpress | 6 to 12 fl oz | 24 | 21 | high | max 31 fl oz per acre per season; 10 day application interval |
| 4A + 28 | Voliam Flexi WDG | 6 to 7 oz. | 12 | 35 | moderate | max 16 oz per acre per season; 10 day application interval |
Prevent resistance development by using the IRAC (Insect Resistance Action Committee) number to rotate the materials used against this pest!
This publication was funded in part by Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR), under award number AR0000000010769. The contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of MDAR and USDA NIFA Extension Implementation Program, grant no. 2-14-70000622578/project accession no. 1005350.
