Maryland Scientists Battling America’s Top Invasive Insect: Stinkbugs
Scientist in Beltsville are working to fight the obnoxious pest that invades homes and eats crops.
There are pests lurking in the woods nearby, hiding out in dead trees, waiting for the end of winter. Occasionally, you find them on your lamps, your windowsills, or in your storage space. Farmers find them on their peaches, sweet corn and soybeans. They move slow, smell bad. They are the Department of Agriculture’s top invasive insect of interest and possibly Maryland’s most annoying bug: the Brown Marmorated Stinkbug (BMSB). Not far from Howard County, scientists at the Agricultural Research Service in Beltsville are attempting to locate weaknesses, habits or predators that will control their rampant population growth in North America. Currently, there are no effective pesticides or biological control methods being used in North …
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