Bugs Make a Stink for Pennsylvania Farmers
By: Amy Holwerda
Published: May 8, 2011

Unlike beautiful pests like butterflies, ladybugs, even praying mantises, no one appreciates the stink bug. Pennsylvania farmers have an especially deep hatred for the pest experts estimate damaged 10 to 20 percent of Pennsylvania's fruit crops last year. Julie Flinchbaugh of Flichbaugh Orchards and Farm Market told The York Daily Record that, "They did a lot of damage last year. We didn't think so at first, but looking back on it, we think they did more damage than we originally thought. First, they hit the apple crop and later the peach crop."
Stink bugs developed their name because they release an unpleasant odor when deterring predators or when they are crushed. The bugs have a particular taste for fruit, sweet corn and soy beans, but, according to the article in The York Daily Record, stink bugs feed from over 300 plant species, making them a problem for the entire agricultural community. Finding ways to deal with this is a particular stink bug "presents a formidable challenge" because they are constantly in motion: reproduction begins sometime in May and continues through mid-October, depending on the weather and food sources.
Experts say that a solution may be years off, leaving farmers without many options to control the rapidly repopulating species. Pesticides are only a temporary stop for a growing problem. However, the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is evaluating four parasitic wasps that lay eggs into the eggs of the stink bug.
No word on how the farmers should be expected to deal with the new onslaught of wasps...
Photo Source: B_Cool