North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Scott Smith <scott@cs.jhu.edu>]

Thats bad to hear bagging doesn't work.  I had only minor problems last year 
with stink bugs but am concerned my population has built up for this year.  I 
had good luck limiting the early stink bug damage on my peaches by spraying 
with Surround - like the curculio they don't seem to like walking on it at 
all.  If I see more of them this year I plan on keeping up the Surround 
coverage all summer instead of just in the spring. 

Scott

On Mar 31, 2011, at 9:36 PM, Don Yellman wrote:

> 1.  At the risk of stinkbug overload after previous coverage of this topic, 
> there is one more feature of these insects that I think is worth 
> mentioning.  Unlike any other insect I have seen, the stinkbug is capable 
> of penetrating the plastic sandwich bags that many of us use for protecting 
> apples.
> 
> 2.  Apparently, the brown marmorated stinkbug has a feeding tube that is 
> long and sharp enough to puncture plastic and continue on into the flesh of 
> apples.  The result is to alter and discolor the cells of the apple down to 
> a depth of one-half inch or more below the skin.  Damage is usually so 
> extensive, that ripe apples are rendered practically useless for anything 
> but cider.  Certainly they would not be marketable, although the home 
> grower can cut off much of the apple and still wind up with something to 
> eat.  The condition under the skin resembles what I have always (perhaps 
> mistakenly) called corky spot.  I have always believed this was caused by 
> calcium deficiency, but it may have been stinkbugs all along.
> 
> 3.  Because the 2010 season was the first that I have noticed such an 
> infestation of these insects (though they may have been present in smaller 
> numbers before), and even though I knew they were present on the trees, I 
> never saw one in an apple bag and was confident the bags would protect the 
> apples just as they do from other insects.  The stinkbug seems to be  a 
> warm-weather insect, and didn't really get going until August into 
> September here.  Earlier apple varieties like Yellow Transparent escaped 
> damage completely, but the midseason and later apples were devastated.  No 
> problems were observed on peaches, plums or apricots, most of which are 
> down before mid-August.  The best and most beautiful of the apples, such as 
> Goldrush, Fuji, Pink Lady, Ashmead's, Albemarle  Pippin, Blushing Golden, 
> etc. were practically ruined.  Meanwhile, the stinkbugs were also attacking 
> crops like tomatoes and peppers, leaving telltale areas of white cells 
> beneath the skin.  It seems that as soon as sugar begins to show up in a 
> fruit or vegetable, and the weather is warm, the stinkbug is waiting.
> 
> 4.  I am preparing apple bags for this season now, but I am clearly going 
> to have to take additional measures to keep this from happening again.  
> Permethrin seems to knock down the stinkbug pretty well, although it seems 
> hard to kill with other insecticides.  I am prepared to spray the trees 
> with bagged apples, but this strategy will work only if an insecticide has 
> a residual effect on the stinkbug.  I seem to recall that Alan had observed 
> little residual effect in his efforts to control this insect.  If he is 
> right, as he frequently is, I really don't what I would do next.  Until 
> USDA or someone comes up with a solution to this infestation, I will be 
> experimenting and looking for an insecticide that would give me some 
> extended protection without having to spray 2-3 times a week.
> 
> 5.  We have watched stinkbugs emerge around the house, greenhouse, and even 
> garage all winter long on sunny days, so they are certainly not gone.  I 
> don't understand their life cycle or reproductive habits well enough to 
> know the signs of trouble for next season.  Certainly, this stinkbug is 
> different, and far more numerous and aggressive than others of this species 
> that I have seen before.
> 
> 6.  As a hobby grower, this is not an issue that affects my livelihood, but 
> I surely sympathize with the commercial growers that still survive in the 
> MD/VA area and along the east coast.  Not to mention Alan Haigh, whose 
> business is fruit tree care.
> 
> Don Yellman, Great Falls, VA
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