New insect poses a risk to fruit trees, vineyards, vegetables in South Okanagan

PENTICTON – The B.C. Ministry of Agriculture is asking Okanagan residents to be on the lookout for the latest non-native species to enter the B.C., including the South Okanagan, as it seeks winter refuge inside buildings this winter.

The ministry has issued an appeal for residents of Penticton, the Fraser Valley and the Lower Mainland to be on the lookout for the brown marmorated stink bug as it attempts to find a place to bed down for the winter.

The stink bug has the potential to cause some serious damage to the valley’s fruit industry, based on losses seen in the United States, according to a B.C. government media release.

The bug feeds on more than 100 different plant species including fruit, berries, grapes, vegetables and ornamental plants, resulting in damage in the United States to tens of millions of dollars worth of fruit crops alone.

Ministry of Agriculture entomologist Susanna Acheampong says the ministry has been on the lookout for the stink bug since 2010, and has since increased its search for the insect following the first sightings of the pest in B.C. this year.

The brown marmorated stink bug, first identified in North America in Pennsylvania in 2001, is a native of Asia. It travels easily by hitching a ride in shipping containers, wood, wood packing material, cargo and vehicles.

The western conifer seed bug is often mistaken for the brown marmorated stink bug, says entomologist Susannah Acheampong. Contributed

“The only place we’ve found it in the Okanagan is along the river channel in Penticton,” Acheampong says, adding only a handful were found.

“Normally, if you find a few, there will be more there,” she says.

Treatment methods are still being defined, Acheampong says, noting land access has to be negotiated before a program can be carried out in Penticton, as the bugs were found on the Penticton Indian Band.

A form or pheromone treatment is being considered.

“It can be complicated looking for them. That’s why we are asking people to look out for them,” she says, adding they can winter in the province quite well, regardless of whether they find a building to get inside.

People can confuse the bug with the native western conifer stink bug, which are slender with ‘leaflike’ back legs and the rough stink bug, which has rough skin and spines on the shoulders.

The brown marmorated stink bug has white bands on the antennae and smooth shoulders,” Acheampong says.

She has received many emails from residents who are confusing the different stink bugs.

The rough stink bug can also be mistaken for the brown marmorated stink bug. The rough stink bug can be identified by its rough skin and spines on the shoulders. Contributed


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Steve Arstad

I have been looking for news in the South Okanagan - SImilkameen for 20 years, having turned a part time lifelong interest into a full time profession. After five years publishing a local newsletter, several years working as a correspondent / stringer for several local newspapers and seven years as editor of a Similkameen weekly newspaper, I joined iNFOnews.ca in 2014. My goal in the news industry has always been to deliver accurate and interesting articles about local people and places. My interest in the profession is life long - from my earliest memories of grade school, I have enjoyed writing.
As an airborne geophysical surveyor I travelled extensively around the globe, conducting helicopter borne mineral surveys.
I also spent several years at an Okanagan Falls based lumber mill, producing glued-wood laminated products.
As a member of the Kaleden community, I have been involved in the Kaleden Volunteer Fire Department for 22 years, and also serve as a trustee on the Kaleden Irrigation District board.
I am currently married to my wife Judy, of 26 years. We are empty-nesters who enjoy living in Kaleden with our Welsh Terrier, Angus, and cat, Tibbs.
Our two daughters, Meagan and Hayley, reside in Richmond and Victoria, respectively.

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