Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/263110
Brown marmorated stinkbug has been found in 26 counties in Washington and Oregon. by Melissa Hansen ARNING: The invasive brown marmorated stinkbug is headed your way. The pest, already in more than 40 states, is rapidly spreading through the Pacifi c Northwest and had its fi rst sighting in the Columbia Basin last year. Dr. Nik Wiman, bearer of the sobering news, is shar- ing some of the latest research fi ndings on the pest this winter during tree fruit talks in Washington State. The Oregon State University entomologist has spent the last two years working on a federally funded brown marmorated stinkbug project. A team of 50 scientists from across the country is collabo- rating to develop management strategies to control the voracious pest. Research on the West Coast is being led by OSU entomologist Dr. Peter Shearer. Wiman's part in the project includes conducting statewide surveys for the pest; evaluating natural enemies, fl ight capacity, and population dynamics; identifying crops at risk; and fi guring out which plants it prefers. The far- reaching project also involves developing monitoring tools, attract-and-kill control methods, and biological control. Wiman has followed the stinkbug's march through Oregon, which has spread from its initial detection in Portland in 2004 to some 20 counties throughout the state following the major north-south and east- west highways (Interstates 5 and 84). In 2011, homeowners in the greater Portland urban area began complaining of brown marmorated stinkbug infestations in their homes and gardens, he said, adding that OSU received funding for a statewide survey in 2012. "We found major movement of the pest," said Wiman. Brown marmorated stinkbug was found in 240 sites, from southern Oregon to the Columbia Gorge, and in Umatilla County. The pest was also detected in Washington's Yakima County. For the first time, the pest was detected in commercial farms (hazelnuts, tree fruit, wine grapes, and blackberries) in Oregon's Willamette Valley. All of the farms were close to urban areas. Since 2012, the stinkbug has continued its spread. Stinkbugs march on Washington Pest Management g s, al Douglas Lane Linn Benton Polk Marion Yamhill Clark Columbia Washington Skamania Ho Riv Deschute Thurston Jackson Clackamas Multnomah C O U R T E S Y L Y N N K E T C H U M , O R E G O N S T A T E U N I V E R S I T Y 24 MARCH 1, 2014 GOOD FRUIT GROWER "We found major movement of the pest." —Dr. Nik Wiman P H O T O I L L U S T R A T I O N : B R O W N M A R M O R A T E D S T I N K B U G