Stink bug monitoring tool available to help growers

Penn St. Univ. researchers have released a Web-based tool that they hope will help enhance their understanding of the invasive brown marmorated stink bug. The mapping tool was developed in collaboration with the Pa. Dept. of Agriculture.
The mapping tool will enable nursery, fruit, vegetable and field-crop growers and homeowners to report the location and size of infestations and the estimated dollar value of damages, if any, caused by the pest.
The website also acts as a portal for information about the stink bug, including photos, a description and management tips for homeowners. In the short term, data collected could provide an early warning for growers about where stink bug populations are occurring so they can take appropriate action to protect their crops.
To report an infestation, visitors must first register on the website. Then they are able to enter information about an infestation, including the county and municipality, date and the number of stink bugs observed per plant or in and around a home. Growers also can report infestations in the two previous seasons to document economic loss.