Biological Control Solutions for Brown Marmorated Stink Bug Management in NYS Orchards and Vegetable Crops

Overview

This solution offers an integrated pest management approach for the invasive brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB), Halyomorpha halys, targeting New York State orchards and vegetable crops along the agricultural-woodland interface. The program centers on expanding the establishment range of the samurai wasp (Trissolcus japonicus), a highly effective egg parasitoid native to Asia, combined with attract-and-kill (ATK) technologies, pheromone-based monitoring, and supplementary LED lighting strategies. The goal is to significantly reduce late-season chemical pesticide inputs while maintaining crop protection, supporting the transition to biologically based pest management in specialty crop systems.

Technical specifications

Core components:

• Biological control agent: Redistribution and conservation of adventive T. japonicus populations in regional BMSB "hot spots" across urban and woodland environments to address overwintering and spring BMSB populations
• Sentinel egg monitoring: Field-deployed BMSB egg clusters used to evaluate parasitoid and predatory activity at replicated Hudson Valley and Lake Ontario sites
• Attract-and-kill technology: Pheromone-based ATK systems incorporating Vestergaard insecticide-impregnated nets to reduce adult BMSB feeding injury
• Pheromone monitoring: Continued BMSB migration tracking at replicated sites to inform integrated management timing
• LED lighting supplementation: Combined with pheromone and insecticide-impregnated fabric to enhance BMSB adult control along the agricultural-woodland interface
• Site replication: Validation across 5 eastern and 5 western New York farm sites spanning vegetable and tree fruit specialty crops

Key benefits:

• Reduced reliance on late-season chemical pesticide applications
• Compatibility with biological control systems in diverse cropping environments
• Targeted management at the agricultural-woodland interface where BMSB pressure is highest
• Established efficacy data from multi-year field studies since 2016

Technology readiness level

The biological control component has been validated through successful T. japonicus establishment and recapture efforts in Hudson Valley and Lake Ontario regional sites since 2016, with confirmed parasitism of BMSB egg clusters in both laboratory and field studies. Attract-and-kill efficacy using pheromone and insecticide-impregnated net technology has been demonstrated through HVRL field studies. The current research phase focuses on scaling implementation across 5 eastern and 5 western farm sites to determine compatibility and efficacy of the full integrated system in vegetable and tree fruit specialty crops, representing an advanced field validation stage toward full biologically based pest management adoption.