U.S. Department of Agriculture
Agricultural Research Service
Brown Marmorated Stink Bugs 
 [Podcast running time: ~ 2:30]

Hi I'm Jay Green with the Agricultural Research Service or A.R.S.; A.R.S. is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's chief scientific research agency.

What stinks when squashed or threatened? Stink bugs of course!

Chances are you've already experienced the brown marmorated stink bug since they were first discovered in Pennsylvania back in 1998. As of today, they've been found in 38 states! You probably see, feel and (hopefully not) smell them in your warm welcoming home, sometimes clumsily landing and gathering in your light fixtures.

And along with being a household nuisance, they're a major economic threat to producers of all kinds of ag products, including grapes (as in wineries), apples, peaches, pears, citrus fruits, cherries, raspberries, green beans, soybeans, and cotton. 

So what is ARS doing to control this pest?

Growers need as much in-the-field information as possible to find ways to better manage them. So ARS scientists are developing various monitoring tools and techniques. This helps growers know the presence, abundance, and seasonal activity of pests and natural enemies so they can decide whether to apply insecticides.

ARS is researching the best shapes and colors of traps to attract stink bugs. For example, ARS scientists already discovered that black pyramid-shaped traps had significantly greater captures than other trap colors and shapes.

We're researching the most effective smell that will attract them. You might say we're looking for specific stinks to combat the stink bug.

We're researching specific stink bug genes that may develop resistance to insecticides. We're also studying pathogens to use against them.

ARS scientists are also identifying natural stink bug enemies, like parasitoid insects, found in Asia that could eventually be imported to the United States as an effective biological control agent.

So, you could say we're making a BIG stink about a little bug! But it's well worth the effort-considering that this little bug poses a big problem for consumers and farmers alike. 
That's our podcast for today. Let's all be glad ARS is researching ways to combat things that really bug us and our nation's food supply!