Description of the Pest
Adult stink bugs are shield shaped, from 0.38 to over 0.5 inch in length and are more than half as wide. Body color ranges from green to grayish-brown to dark chocolate. The small barrel-shaped eggs are white, pink, or green. They are deposited on the foliage in clusters. Nymphs are oval to shield-shaped and vary widely in color (red, orange, yellow, black, green, etc.). They are often brighter colored and patterned with spots or stripes compared to lygus bug nymphs.
Damage
Stink bugs have piercing-sucking mouthparts and cause damage similar to that of lygus bugs. Unlike lygus bugs, stink bugs are capable of feeding on older beans as well.
- During the early bud and bloom stages, stink bugs cause bud and flower loss, which can result in reduced yields.
- Stink bugs also feed on the young developing seed pods causing:
- pod distortion.
- pitting and blemishes on table market beans.
- reduced germination in seed beans.
Management
Biological Control
A complex of native and introduced parasitic wasps attack stink bug egg masses in dry beans, with up to 80% parasitism in some species such as the southern green stink bug. Eggs turn black when parasitized by these wasps. Planting hedgerows of native California flowering shrubs along field crop edges will enhance parasitoid activity, helping to manage this pest. For more information about planting hedgerows, see Establishing Hedgerows on Farms in California , UC ANR publication 8390.
Organically Acceptable Methods
Monitoring and Management Decisions
Stink bugs may migrate into dry bean fields following harvest of nearby tomato fields.
- Start monitoring for stink bugs at bloom and continue through pod fill. If a stink bug is picked up while sweeping for lygus, stink bugs should be more closely monitored.
- Spray if stink bugs are consistently found when monitoring and if the field still contains small pods.
- Consider frequency of observations of parasitized eggs when making management decisions. Frequent observations of parasitized eggs can delay or eliminate the need to spray.
| Common name | Amount per acre** | REI‡ | PHI‡ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (Example trade name) | (hours) | (days) | ||
| Not all registered pesticides are listed. The following are ranked with the pesticides having the greatest IPM value listed first—the most effective and least harmful to natural enemies, honey bees , and the environment are at the top of the table. When choosing a pesticide, consider information relating to air and water quality, resistance management, and the pesticide's properties and application timing. Always read the label of the product being used. | ||||
| A. | LAMBDA-CYHALOTHRIN | |||
| (Warrior II with Zeon) | 1.28–1.92 fl oz | 24 | 21 | |
| MODE-OF-ACTION GROUP NUMBER1: 3A | ||||
| COMMENTS: Do not graze livestock in treated areas or harvest vines for forage or hay. | ||||
| B. | ZETA-CYPERMETHRIN | |||
| (Mustang Maxx) | 3.2–4.0 fl oz | 12 | 21 | |
| MODE-OF-ACTION GROUP NUMBER1: 3A | ||||
| C. | DIMETHOATE | |||
| (Dimethoate 2.67) | 0.75–1.5 pt | 48 | 0 | |
| MODE-OF-ACTION GROUP NUMBER1: 1B | ||||
| COMMENTS: Do not feed sprayed vines to livestock. Not registered for use on cowpea. | ||||
| D. | BIFENTHRIN | |||
| (Bifenture EC) | 2.1–6.4 fl oz | 12 | 14 | |
| MODE-OF-ACTION GROUP NUMBER1: 3A | ||||
| E. | BIFENTHRIN/IMIDACLOPRID | |||
| (Brigadier) | 3.8–5.6 fl oz | 12 | 14 | |
| MODE-OF-ACTION GROUP NUMBER1: 3A/4A | ||||
| COMMENTS: Review and follow the California neonicotinoid regulations effective January 1, 2024. Permissible application rates of this insecticide may be lower than label rates if applying more than one neonicotinoid active ingredients or using more than one application method in the same season. | ||||
| F. | BETA-CYFLUTHRIN/IMIDACLOPRID | |||
| (Leverage 360) | 2.8 fl oz | 12 | 7 | |
| MODE-OF-ACTION GROUP NUMBER1: 3A/4A | ||||
| COMMENTS: Suppression only. Review and follow the California neonicotinoid regulations effective January 1, 2024. Permissible application rates of this insecticide may be lower than label rates if applying more than one neonicotinoid active ingredients or using more than one application method in the same season. |
||||
| G. | BETA-CYFLUTHRIN | |||
| (Baythroid XL) | 1.6–2.4 fl oz | 12 | 7 | |
| MODE-OF-ACTION GROUP NUMBER1: 3A | ||||
| H. | ACEPHATE | |||
| (Orthene 97) | 8–16 oz | 24 | 14 | |
| MODE-OF-ACTION GROUP NUMBER1: 1B | ||||
| COMMENTS: Do not feed sprayed vines to livestock. | ||||
| ** | Mix with sufficient water to obtain full coverage. |
| ‡ | Restricted entry interval (REI) is the number of hours (unless otherwise noted) from treatment until the treated area can be safely entered without protective clothing. Preharvest interval (PHI) is the number of days from treatment to harvest. In some cases, the REI exceeds the PHI. The longer of two intervals is the minimum time that must elapse before harvest. |
| 1 | Rotate pesticides with a different mode-of-action group number, and do not use products with the same mode-of-action group number more than twice per season to help prevent the development of resistance. For example, the organophosphates have a group number of 1B; pesticides with a 1B group number should be alternated with pesticides that have a group number other than 1B. Mode-of-action group numbers are assigned by IRAC (Insecticide Resistance Action Committee). |