Invasive stink bugs found in Stanislaus County

The brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) has made its way to Stanislaus County, reported John Holland in the Modesto Bee. The invasive pest, introduced into the U.S. from Asia, has also been detected in San Joaquin, Sacramento, Yolo, Sutter, Butte, Santa Clara and Los Angeles counties.

The stink bugs pose a threat to a wide variety of plants, including home-grown and commercial ornamentals, fruits, vegetables and nuts, said Jhalendra Rijal, the area integrated pest management advisor with UC Agriculture and Natural Resources. Rijal is based at the UC Cooperative Extension office in Modesto.

BMSB was found in two Stanislaus County locations in recent weeks: outside a business at Kansas Avenue and Highway 99 in Modesto and outside the home of a pest control adviser in Turlock. Rijal said there have been no reports of BMSB in the county's farmland, but they could be out there.

"There is definitely potential for this pest, because it can feed on many host plants in agricultural and urban settings," he said. 

The Modesto Bee quoted the UC IPM Pest Note on brown marmorated stink bug in its article.

"An efficient way to collect stink bugs indoors is by sucking them up with a dry or wet vacuum," the Pest Note says. "The bugs will cause the collection canister or bag and other parts of the vacuum to give off an unpleasant stink bug odor, so some people dedicate a vacuum cleaner to stink bug capture only."

The pest note provides detailed information on monitoring for and managing stink bug infestations.

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