Managing BMSB

Managing BMSB in Tree Crops

UC IPM Brown Marmorated Stink Bug Provisional Guidelines for: Apples, Peaches, Pears

Managing BMSB in Homes and Gardens

Control of BMSB is very challenging for home gardeners. Effective insecticides have not yet been identified, and caution is urged not to kill beneficial insects or contaminate waterways with pesticides in runoff water. The Pest Note below discusses where BMSB has been found, how to identify them and distinguish them from other stink bugs, damage and nuisance they cause, and how to prevent and manage them inside and on homes, and control in gardens.

Sunflower Study
We planted dwarf sorghum and several varieties of dwarf (4 to 6 feet tall) sunflowers in a ring around three 10 by 20 foot garden plots on April 14, 2015. The goal was to see if many BMSB fed on the trap crop and hopefully not on the tomatoes or other crops. (Read more).

Managing BMSB on Buildings

Control on and in buildings is also difficult, and exclusion is the primary means of control. Insecticides can be used to kill aggregations (clusters) of them in late summer/fall by contact, but using insecticides for residual control around small entrances is not effective. Both practices can lead to pesticide runoff into waterways if extreme caution is not taken. Commercial pest management vacuums are available and are very effective; if you can see the stink bugs to spray them, why not vacuum them?

Below is information to help you battle this pest:

Publications

Pest Note - Management of BMSB in Homes and Gardens (UC IPM)

Article - Excluding Seasonal Nuisance Pests on Structures (UC IPM)

Presentation (PDF 1.2MB) - Overwintering Pests--Control Strategies (National Pest Management Association)

Videos

Video - BMSB Control: Keeping Stink Bugs Out of Your House (University of Maryland Extension)