 Photo Courtesy of USDA |
The EPA has approved two insecticides to help get rid of an invasive species of stink bugs called the brown marmorated stink bug.
Before 1998 the brown marmorated stink bug was not reported in the United States. There are no local predators to this stink bug and they can cause a lot of damage to local fruits and other crops. EPA needed to help with stink bug control and therefore approved the use of the insecticide dinotefuran (referred to as Venom or Scorpion).
States like Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia, Virginia, Delaware, North Carolina and New Jersey are the hardest hit by the brown marmorated stink bug and have been approved for emergency use of dinotefuran.
Growers of stone fruit (cherries, peaches, plums) and pome fruit (apples, pears) are allowed to use two applications of dinotefuran in a single season. Dinotefuran has also been permitted for use on melons, grapes and some vegetables. Other fruits are not permitted to receive dinotefuran because of their unknown environmental effects.
Dinotefuran can be used on crops as few as three days before they are harvested since it dissipates quickly. For this reason, to get rid of stink bugs, experts suggest a late treatment of insecticide to hit the stink bugs when they are most active and most likely to die from the treatment. Spraying late in the season also helps to avoid killing early season insects that are helpful, such as honey bees.
For additional stink bug control, organic farmers are approved to use insecticides based on azadirachtin and pyrethrin to get rid of stink bugs. Both of these chemicals come from plant ingredients.
For home owners who want to get rid of stink bugs, a multi-purpose insecticide called Talstar Pro
