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US: Stink bugs on the rise

There is a sharp increase in stink bugs at the moment - about 70 growers from Maryland, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and New Jersey recently took a tour of Catoctin Mountain orchards. The location is being used as a test base for the USDA's studies on the brown marmorated stink bug.

They learned the USDA has made advances in techniques to detect the presence of the bugs, as well new techniques in eradicating them, such as luring the insects with light.

Such progress is coming at the right moment - Bryan Butler Sr., a University of Maryland Extension mid-Maryland tree-fruit agent, said stink bug traps used for monitoring purposes recently revealed a significant increase.

"We've started seeing damage to nectarines and peaches," Butler said. "The game is on now. We have to start spending a lot more time looking into trees, at raspberries and blackberries."

The current stink bug population is coming out of the winter. Adult bugs are looking for a good meal, and they will feed and mate, Butler said.

"You don't want them established," Butler said. "You don't want them to move in, feed and mate. You want to hold them off as much as possible."

Several farmers were concerned that the bugs could return this year with a vengeance due to early warm weather, which, they said, could spur early mating, egg laying and faster development into adults.

"I think we may have more problems with stink bugs this year," said Dave Wenk, a Gardners, Pa., fruit farmer. "This warm weather allows for an extra generation."

"We learned that only adults can fly, so if we can kill them early, when they are on the tree not being able to fly yet, that will help a lot," Wenk said. Last year theEPA approved for emergency use the insecticide dinotefuran on fruit trees to help manage outbreaks of the bug.

Mike and Lisa Gaver planted an apple orchard three years ago to tie in with fall activities at Gaver Farm in Mount Airy. Veteran fruit grower Robert Black, president of Catoctin Mountain Orchard, invited the couple to help with the learning curve of growing apples.

"We have much to learn and felt it was informative to hear the latest research and growing methods being developed," Lisa Gaver said. "We felt reassured as farmers to hear from the experts working so hard on (stink bugs).

Source: fredericknewspost.com
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