Dangerous pest of gardens and fields: how to deal with a marble bug?

Marble bug is a dangerous pest of orchards and agricultural fields. In 1998, the species was introduced in the United States, where it bred in large numbers. By 2016, he was in 11 European countries, including Russia. The number of pests has no natural limitations; it has no enemies in new territories. In winter, insects move to houses. They do not bite people, but are able to spread an unpleasant odor.

Marble bug: description and life cycle

Marble bug (Halyomorpha halys) - a representative of the family true insects (Pentatomidae). The body is flat, pear-shaped, length 10-17 mm. The shield covers most of the back. The adult bug has a brown-marble color with alternating dark and light areas. The lower part of the insect is light with gray dots. The oral apparatus is a piercing-sucking type, the antennae consist of 5 segments. The view is distinguished by white rings on the antennae. Odorous glands are located on the chest between two pairs of limbs and on the abdomen.

Bed bugs are insects with incomplete transformation. Females lay eggs in spring, placing them in heaps on the leaves of trees. The masonry consists of 20-30 white barrel-shaped eggs. Nymphs hatch 1.5–2 mm in size. For several days they stay near the masonry, eating a shell of eggs. The larvae of the first age are orange; after molting, they darken. The development period to an adult is 35-45 days. Nymphs change 5 ages.

Under favorable subtropical conditions, the pest manages to give 3 generations before the onset of cold weather. The female lays 300-400 eggs. In winter, insects seek refuge and fall into diapause. Severe frosts reduce the number of bugs by 70-80%, but high fecundity allows you to quickly restore the number of bugs.

Information. Marble bugs are called stinkers; they spread an unpleasant pungent odor. This is a defense mechanism against enemies - birds and lizards.

Habitat

The homeland of the guards is Southeast Asia; they live in Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and China. Merchandise trade facilitated the spread of insects to another part of the world. In 1998, for the first time, the presence of a brown marble bug in the USA was officially recorded. By 2012, it was noted in 40 states and parts of Canada. In Europe, the pest appeared in 2016. The first outbreak of shield breeding in Russia occurred in 2015. Abkhazia, the Krasnodar Territory, and the North Coast of the Caucasus were threatened. Spread Brown Marble Bugbut threatens the Rostov and Astrakhan region, the Stavropol Territory.

Malware

What does the bug eat? Scutellaria are phytophages; they feed on plant sap. The diet of the pest is about 300 species of crops and is constantly expanding. Bedbugs damage vegetables (tomatoes, peppers), fruit trees (peaches, pears, apricots, cherries), cereals and legumes, nuts. Insects are found on ornamental shrubs, flowers, grapes, raspberries, they are seen in rice fields.

Information.In 2010, the loss of US agriculture as a result of the action of the marble bug was $ 21 billion.

After proboscis damage to the surface of the fruit, fruit and vegetables fall. At the site of the puncture of the leaf plate, tissue deformation occurs, pathogenic bacteria penetrate inside. On a site necrotic processes develop. The extent of damage depends on the size of the colony. Plants lag behind in development, fruits lose marketable properties. In vegetable fields, damage can reach 90-100%, in peach and pistachio orchards 50-60%.

House pest

Brown marble bug does not tolerate negative temperatures. For wintering, he looks for heated buildings, climbs into houses. What is dangerous for humans? At the slightest contact with an insect, it emits a sharp unpleasant odor. In some people, it causes an allergic reaction in the form of a runny nose or conjunctivitis. The number of bugs in one house can reach thousands of individuals. The proboscis's oral apparatus is rather weak, so it does not bite human skin. A reaction in the form of dermatitis, itching, or rashes can be caused by contact with the fluid from the body of the shield.

Protection of premises from bugs

The first cold weather forces the shieldmen to seek refuge. They are able to penetrate small cracks, so homeowners have to take protective measures. It is necessary to close the openings in the window and doorways with gaskets. Garlic, essential oil, garden plants (basil, mint, lavender) will help scare away insects.

Mechanical way to fight

In spring, bedbugs come out of hibernation. During this period, it is important to begin collecting and eliminating individuals, preventing their reproduction. On the Black Sea coast and in the Krasnodar Territory, insects are active in early April. They leave the shelter at a temperature of 10-15 °. Experts advise to collect them manually and destroy.

Pheromone traps

The most effective method of controlling and eliminating pests is the use of pheromone traps. In the United States, several types of pheromones were synthesized; this mixture attracts marble bugs throughout the season. By design, the traps are ground and suspension. The first are a high pyramid (1.2 m), painted black. On the basis of the installed capacity of 2 l, which houses an odorous bait and insecticide. The hanging version has a smaller stand, the rest of the device is the same. Adults and nymphs rush to the bait, but cannot get out of the bulb.

After the pest invasion began, Russian scientists began to synthesize a new pheromone. His testing was successful, but the glue version was not effective enough. Insects can come off the sticky base. In structures of the barrier type, you can collect up to several hundred individuals. Attractor devices lure brown bugs to the trees. Partially, they fall into traps, the rest are destroyed manually, shaking off branches.

Light traps

A distinctive feature of insects is the desire for light, females and males actively fly to the fire. Light traps are used to study the number and range of insects. But in apartments they help to cope with pests. The device has a grid with electricity, when touched, insects die.

DIY trap for a marble bug

Homemade appliances are no less effective than purchased designs. There are several options for traps:

1. Lamp and soap solution. One of the simplest designs from pests that got into the house. You will need a table lamp and a wide container with soapy water. It is enough to turn on the lighting in the evening, insects will fly to it and fall into the water.

Information. During the tests, the trap allowed to destroy 10 times more pests than the factory version.

1. Plastic bottle and LED. Simple 2 liter bottle design.The capacity is cut into two parts, the top is 1/3 of the total height. An LED flashlight is placed at the bottom of the bottle. The upper part is turned upside down and inserted into the base as a funnel. At night, marble bugs will crawl inward to the light, but will not be able to get out.
2. White cloth. In the evening, soak a white sheet or towel until it is wet. Hang the fabric on a rope in the yard. Bedbugs will be taken into the folds of the wet material, and in the morning they will be collected in a basin with soapy water.
3. In the yard near the trees hang a large number of adhesive tapes for flies. Various insects, including bugs, will stick to them.
4. The fake winter hut. In autumn, pests look for a dry and warm place for hibernation. One of the ways to get rid of insects is to install several cardboard boxes filled with paper on the site. Shield guards climb into the false winter, which is then burned.

One of the vulnerabilities of the pest is a negative attitude to strong odors. It can be scared away by the infusion of garlic or wormwood.

Bedbug Control Methods

The spread of the pest is limited by climatic conditions. In countries where the shield bug appeared artificially, it has no natural enemies. Smelly insects shun most bird species. Domestic chickens came to the aid of people. But they are not able to significantly affect the situation. In Asia, the distribution of insects is controlled by the samurai wasp Trissolcus japonicas. It parasitizes on the eggs of a brown bug. Wasp larvae eat offspring of the pest. The insect has already appeared in Europe and the USA.

Pest control makes their resistance to many pyrethroid-based insecticides more difficult. Scientists are looking for options on how to deal with the marble bug. Chemicals remain the most effective option. The mechanical collection of adult shield bugs, their eggs and nymphs is possible only in small private farms. The experts of the company "Schelkovo Agrochem" recommend chemicals for marble bugs:

• Imidor - produced in the form of a concentrate, belongs to the group of neonicotinoids. The insecticide has a systemic effect.
• Kinfos - an emulsion consisting of a mixture of two active substances. Contact-intestinal pesticide. It has a long protective effect.
• Faskord is a broad-spectrum drug that quickly leads to the death of pests. The activity of the drug lasts 2-4 weeks.
• Twingo is a novelty combined pesticide that destroys adult insects and eggs. Active ingredients diflubenzuron and imidacloprit.

Insecticides proved their effectiveness in the destruction of insects:

• Karate-Zeon is a drug based on lambda-cygalotrin. To treat the infected area, 4 ml of the substance are diluted in 10 liters of water. You will need to carry out the procedure 2 times, the eggs do not die.
• Clipper - intestinal contact pesticide is effective against sucking insects. The chemical is used to protect vegetables in greenhouses and open ground.
• Aktara - an insecticide refers to nicotinoids, it affects the nervous system of pests. The action lasts 2-3 weeks, the plants are processed during the growing season.
• Confidor Extra - the product has a systemic effect, is resistant to flushing. Insects die several hours after processing.

Chemical spraying of plants is carried out in early spring. It is important to destroy the first generation of pests, preventing their reproduction exponentially. Processing is carried out in the evening, protective equipment (mask, gloves) is required. Brown-marble bug is resistant to chemistry, you will have to follow the effects of drugs. In case of low efficiency, select another remedy.

Do not forget about folk recipes. The use of a soap-water solution that destroys the shield of the shield is recommended. No less effective is spraying with tincture of hot pepper or mustard powder.

When a marble bug is found in a house, the struggle with it is mainly carried out by mechanical means.Found insects are collected using a vacuum cleaner, then thrown into a container of soapy water. The method is good for appliances with a removable bag, because shields secrete odorous liquid.

Information. In 2017, an agricultural pest was included in the list of quarantine objects of the Eurasian Economic Union.

The high harmfulness of the marble bug requires the mobilization of efforts of farmers and residents of the regions in the fight against the quarantine species. The delay in taking action in the United States turned into billions of losses.