Fighting Brown Marmorated Stink Bug in Oregon

Brown Marmorated Stink Bug had been primarily contained to the Portland Metro area in Oregon until a recent discovery of the pest at a Milton-Freewater apple orchard after a farmer lost about half his crop.

Oregon State University Entomologist Vaughn Walton said the bug is beginning to spread.

“This has a much wider range, that’s why we’re concerned. We are seeing increasing numbers. We are seeing spread. They’re very dispersive. They have the ability to fly long distances in very short periods of time.”

The stink bug can damage the tissue of an apple or a pear leaving a blemish making the fruit unmarketable.

That’s why Walton and his colleagues have released a guide on managing the pest.

“It gives people the details as to where to get the traps, where to get the lures, how to set the traps up, which compounds to use, what the damage looks like, when you can expect certain types of symptoms, when you can expect the bugs to become a problem.”

You can find a link to Walton’s guide on best practices on the Stop BMSB website.

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