Brown Marmorated Stink Bug Pt 1

Brown Marmorated Stink Bug Pt 1

Bob Larson
Bob Larson
With today's Fruit Grower Report, I'm Bob Larson. Phones are ringing off the hook at Washington State University where researchers are seeing a rise in reports of brown marmorated stink bug sightings.

In the past three weeks, WSU has received roughly 300 calls or emails, mostly from Western Washington ...

BEERS ... "It's an invasive Stink Bug that comes to us from Asia. It landed in the Mid-Atlantic area of the country about the mid 1990's and it's been spreading throughout the U.S. ever since."

WSU entomologist Betsy Beers says some major crops could be at risk ...

BEERS ... "Apples are considered one of the most vulnerable crops, but it looks as though pears may be equally vulnerable."

Beers says so far, commercial crop damage has been limited ...

BEERS ... "... so far. But given the history of this insect in other parts of the country we anticipate that eventually it will move from the urban areas and it will move out into agricultural lands. So, yes, at that point in time we will have to protect our crops."

Beers says BMSB has been a real problem in other parts of the country ...

BEERS ... "Pennsylvania, West Virginia, the entire Mid-Atlantic area, they had a huge outbreak in 2010 and experienced pretty severe crop damage. So, that is a warning, I guess, to other parts of the country that once these things sort of build to a certain level they can be very problematic."

First found in Portland in 2004, the Brown Marmorated Stink Bugs have been spotted up and down Western Washington, but also in Yakima and Walla Walla.

Listen tomorrow for more on how you can help track these smelly critters.

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