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Invasive species watch - brown marmorated stink bug (Halyomorpha halys)

NollieNollie Posts: 7,529
in Plants
Now confirmed to be in London and Surrey. I’m currently experiencing a plague of these here in north-east Spain. Feed on a wide range of fruit, vegetables, woody and ornamental plants. God they really do stink when handled! Have just cleared out loads trying to hibernate on the backs of curtains over doors and coats hanging up near the front door, even found some in an armchair. Ugh!

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/mar/01/uk-scientists-confirm-arrival-of-brown-marmorated-stink-bugs

Mountainous Northern Catalunya, Spain. Hot summers, cold winters.

Posts

  • floraliesfloralies Posts: 2,718
    We have a plague of the European Green stink bugs at the moment, they are also on everything indoors, I have also seen a few of the brown marmorated ones.
  • NollieNollie Posts: 7,529
    I think the European ones are pretty harmless, fortunately, @floralies but the local farmers are pretty worried about the BMSBs because they have devastated hazelnut crops elsewhere. This is a big hazelnut growing area and this new Asian pest will doubtless be the talk of the annual nut festival 😆 Watch out for them on your cucumbers, another favourite food, apparently!

    BMSBs have distinctive white stripes on their antennae, the usual brown jobbies don’t.
    Mountainous Northern Catalunya, Spain. Hot summers, cold winters.
  • Busy-LizzieBusy-Lizzie Posts: 24,043
    We have a lot of brown stink bugs in SW France. I don't know if they are that sort, they look like them. I think they smell more like rotting apples than almonds. I hate it when they fly noisily and clumsily around the room.
    Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
  • floraliesfloralies Posts: 2,718
    The young of the green ones have been all over my tomatoes this year, not too much damage though. An adult was crawling over my Kindle last night as I was trying to read!
    I will have a closer look at the brown ones, that's not good news for hazelnut growers @Nollie.
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