Think the Stink Bug has Vanished? Think Again

Cooler weather, football and apple cider are synonymous with fall, but for homeowners, stink bugs have become another sign of the changing seasons.

Unusually cold and rainy weather may have kept some stink bugs away, but they’re still showing up in yards by the hundreds.

"I think we're in for a big season this year," says Mike Raupp, professor of entomology at the University of Maryland. "We expect this may be as bad - or as significant - as the year 2010, which was the breakout year for these stink bugs around here."

The National Pest Management Association (NPMA) says we are likely to start seeing these smelly pests hanging on curtains, lampshades, screens and other objects inside homes in the coming months.

“The number of adult stink bugs increase during September and October which makes it critical to capture them now, before they migrate to overwintering sites,” says Dr. Qing-He Zhang, lead scientist and director of research at Sterling International Inc., developers of RESCUE!® Stink Bug Traps.  

“In the early fall, stink bug adults intensively feed on high energy foods such as fruits, seeds, leaves and even tree trunks to obtain the strength needed for hibernation,” says Dr. Zhang. “As food sources dry up and daylight hours wane, the bugs search for shelter to overwinter.”

According to Virginia Cooperative Extension entomologist Chris Bergh, “There seems to be a very tight window during which these bugs start moving from their feeding sites to overwintering sites.”

With no effective natural enemies, stink bugs have been discovered in 40 states to this point – most recently in Oregon and Utah.

“Homes are prime targets,” says Dr. Zhang. “If you’ve seen one, you can be sure there are hundreds more waiting to come inside. You need to stop them in their tracks and break the stink bug life cycle before they come indoors to hibernate.”

So, how can you stop these pesky bugs in their tracks? Scientists recommend the following tips for preventing and dealing with stink bugs:

1.                   Seal off entry points: Inspect the outside of your home for easy access points. Pay close attention to areas around siding and window air-conditioner utility pipes, behind chimneys and underneath the fascia or other openings. Use silicone caulk to seal any cracks and holes.

2.                   Replace and repair: Check for damaged window or door screens and for torn weather-stripping and loose mortar.

3.                   Trap them before they come indoors:  To catch the stink bugs in the fall before they move inside, hang a trap - like the RESCUE!®Stink Bug Trap - at eye level from a tree branch, stake or pole about 15-20 feet from the house.

4.                   Turn off the lights: Keep outdoor lighting to a minimum. During the evenings, turn off porch lights and pull down window blinds to prevent light from spilling outside.

5.                   Ventilate: Properly ventilate basements, attics, garages and crawl spaces to eliminate harborage points. Consider using a dehumidifier in these areas.

6.                   Think before squishing: When disturbed or crushed, stink bugs have a tendency to release a bad-smelling odor as a defense measure. Instead, pick them up with a tissue and flush them down the toilet. Do not throw them back outside. They will just turn around and come right back in. 

When stink bugs invade the indoors in colder weather, they really raise a stink. Just ask Raupp, “We're going to see large numbers of stink bugs collecting on the sides of people's homes and then trying to move indoors.”

The Great Stink Bug Awakening

Stink bugs have had a busy month.  The USDA named them the top invasive species in America and scientists predict that the pungent pests will reach record numbers in 2013. The time is at hand to fight stink bugs. 

Rod Schneidmiller, president of Sterling International, developer of the RESCUE!® Stink Bug Traps advises that early action is critical to break the stink bug life cycle. 

“Stink bugs live to eat and mate outdoors in spring and summer,” he says “It is important to start using your trap outdoors by April 1 in order to catch the emerging adults before they multiply. Over time, this will reduce their numbers so the amount that could potentially get in the house next fall drops dramatically.” 

To combat the stink bug invasion, Sterling International scientists developed the RESCUE!^® Stink Bug Trap to lure, capture and destroy these pests. It’s the only solution that works both indoors and outdoors, based on the stink bug life cycle and behavior in each environment:

Indoors: Two factors cause stink bugs to wake up from hibernation: when the stored food in their bodies is depleted, or when outdoor temperatures rise. The latter makes them think it’s spring, and if it isn’t yet, they will follow the heat sources to the warmer living areas of the house. The RESCUE! ^® Stink Bug Trap can be used with the Stink Bug Light attachment in the attic to catch stink bugs as they wake from their winter sleep.

Outdoors: Stink bugs eat, mate and lay eggs. They ONLY do these things outdoors. The RESCUE! ^® Stink Bug Trap is used outdoors with the pheromone attractants to catch both adult and juvenile stink bugs during spring, summer and early fall. Consistent use of the trap outdoors, starting in spring, is the best way to stay on top of the stink bug problem. 

Read more about how to stop stink bugs here. Visit www.rescue.com for a list of retailers near you and follow RESCUE!^® on Facebook.

Garden Writers Symposium "Round-up"- AZ style

As our plane flew into Tucson, AZ, the startling landscape opened up like parchment unfurled, its tawny hues of dappled sand and green-grey plants revealing a soothing palette of desert colors that bid us welcome.

Team GMG (Suzi, Stacey, Katie and I) had arrived for the 2012 Garden Writers (GWA) Symposium, to participate in the most highly anticipated event of the year for professional communicators in the lawn and garden industry.This year's 64th symposium was attended by some 600 print and broadcast garden communicators and bloggers from around the world and top growers and vendors showing off new plants and products.

Our car meandered and climbed up the winding drive that crested in front of a stunning pink-toned adobe and stucco hotel and conference center, with towering cactus, swollen succulents and scarlet desert flowers dotting the landscape like silent sentinels against a cobalt blue western sky.

Between the hectic pace of greeting old friends and new, we prepared for our dinner party at Maynard's Market and Kitchen, an historic converted train station turned upscale restaurant. Cool jazz and smooth voices entertained as we mingled with our media guests and clients: Fall Creek® Farm & Nursery, Hines Growers, RESCUE!® all natural pest control, Premier Tech Horticulture and American Beauties Native Plants/North Creek Nursery.

 

Friday and Saturday saw the exhibitors hall packed with colorful booths brimming with new plants and products, like an open-air market filled with heady earthy scents wafting throughout the aisles.

Crowds gathered around the new flowering Bloomtastic!™and Patio Tropics!™ plants from Hines Growers, ground-breaking new BrazelBerries™ small ornamental fruit collection from Fall Creek® Farm & Nursery, all natural pest control traps from RESCUE!®, stunning native plants from American Beauties Native Plants® and new sustainable PRO-MIX® planting and potting mixes from Premier Tech Horticulture.

"That couldn't be a crinum," exclaims a writer peering intensely at the new Bloomtastic! Crinum Purple   Dream. The leaves look almost purply black!" 

"You mean we can now grow thornless raspberries in containers right in our backyards?" gasps another as she points to the new thornless dwarf raspberry shrub, Raspberry Shortcake™, part of the BrazelBerries collection.

People studied and handled the new fly tape and eco-friendly stink bug traps at the RESCUE! booth and enjoyed a festive atmosphere at the Premier booth.

Workshops like "Let's Talk Plants" romanced the attendees with alluring plant images and  meaty phrases in a lightning speed dating style. Joe Gray , senior vice president of Hines Growers casually chatted about their new plant introductions with the attentive audience and moderators, charming the crowd with asides.

Along with the exhibits, there were scores of workshops and garden tours that included a special visit to a unique seed listing organization that I'll dig into deeper next time.

Ciao, AZ... we loved our visit.

Next year...hint, hint...

Oh, Canada!

~Lynne

Garden Media Group

Experts Share Eco-friendly Tips to Protect Homes from Pesky Fall Bugs

Fall’s cool, crisp weather is an ideal time to plant and prepare the home and landscape for next spring. While tending chores outdoors, pesky insects are heading indoors ahead of Old Man Winter, seeking food sources and warm, safe places to hibernate.
 
Home Invaders. Unwelcome invasive pests like silverfish, spiders, earwigs, flies and ants are typical party crashers once temperatures fall.

To protect a home from unwanted fall pests, industry experts share these simple eco-friendly tips to keep pesky insects at bay:.

1. Clean up brush and keep mulch and firewood piles and move them away from the house to avoid creating habitats for critters and insects

2. Seal up cracks, crevices and holes with caulk or weather stripping around potential entry points and seal around pipes and utilities. Repair loose roof tiles and screens. Inspect windows and basement foundations and repair loose and crumbling mortar.

3. Clean cupboard shelves from loose grain, starch-based and sugary food and place food in sealed containers or plastic bags.

4. Check where stink bugs hide in warm, dark spaces like baseboards, exhaust fans, ceiling tiles and drapes. Pick stink bugs off by hand with a tissue and flush them down a toilet or drop into a bucket of soapy water. If you vacuum, be warned. When threatened, stink bugs emit a foul odor so dispose the bags immediately.

New traps help battle stink bugs without the need to touch them. Zhang explains, “Once you see the bugs clinging to the side of the house or screens, this is a signal that they are ready to get indoors to hibernate and more may be coming towards the home. The RESCUE!® Stink Bug trap uses non-toxic pheromone attractants that lures stink bugs from a radius of 30 feet, intercepting them before they reach the house.”

The RESCUE!® Stink Bug Trap can also be used indoors with an LED light attachment. It works best when stink bugs start waking up from hibernation – usually January through April.

5. If ants are your problem, try herbs. Briscoe White, herb expert and owner of The Growers Exchange, says bay leaves, cinnamon and cloves repel ants outdoors and indoors. Sprinkle dry crushed herbs around points of entry, cabinets and windowsills to create a natural barrier. Plus, peppermint and spearmint are excellent deterrents against both ants and moths.

 -Katie @KatieGMG

Timing is Everything in the Fight Against Stink Bugs

Out of sight should not mean out of mind. The “great awakening” is upon us; stink bugs are ready to mate and multiply! Experts are warning us that now’s the critical time to catch those stink bugs before your gardens become their buffet.

Did you know that stink bugs have been called one of the most serious agricultural and ornamental pests ever seen in the United States?It is estimated that stink bugs do millions of dollars of damage to crops and gardens each year. Their favorites are fruit and berries, juicy tomatoes and veggies.

With nationwide record-setting warmer winter and mild spring temperatures, stink bugs are showing up earlier than many anticipated.

According to Dr. George Hamilton, chair of the Department of Entomology at Rutgers University, sting bugs in the Mid-Atlantic region are appearing from one to two weeks earlier than we normally see and are in the process of moving outdoors.

Hamilton says the brown marmorated stink bugs are a particular problem with the potential to wreak havoc on agriculture and home gardens at almost every growth stage.

With the early spring and plants coming out sooner and the possibility of warmer weather extending into fall, some scientists are wondering if there’s a potential for two generations of stink bugs showing up further north than they’ve seen before.

Dr. Qing-He Zhang, PhD, lead scientist and director of research at Sterling International, has developed a safe and effective solution for home gardeners to use outdoors. The RESCUE!® Stink Bug Trap, catches adult stink bugs and the ravenous younger generations that feed on gardens and fruit bearing shrubs and trees.

And they’re on the move hitching rides across the nation.

According to United States Dept of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service (USDA/ ARS) in Beltsville, MD, four more states - Missouri, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas - have reported sightings of invasive stink bugs, bringing the total to more than 37 states.

The RESCUE!® Stink Bug Trap lures, captures and destroys these destructive pests using patent-pending technology that slowly releases a pheromone that’s odorless to humans and formulated to lure stink bugs from up to 30 feet. The non-toxic delivery system is similar to what Sterling has successfully used in other RESCUE!® traps for pests.

For great tips on how to beat stink bugs, visit http://www.rescue.com and its new site, [http://www.stinkbugsmackdown.com or follow RESCUE! on Facebook.

-Stacey
Garden Media Group

Shine a little LED on the subject of Stink Bugs

If you think you’re safe, beware. Researchers predict that if one out of 10 homes had stink bugs last year, nine in 10 homes could have them this season. According to Dr. Tracy Leskey, a research entomologist with the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, adult stink bugs are moving inside and looking for places to spend the winter.

"Now is the time to fight stink bugs," says Rod Schneidmiller, president of Sterling International, developer of the RESCUE! Stink Bug Traps. "Whether you use a homemade trap or one of ours, do something this fall to break the cycle and reduce their numbers."

By Halloween, most stink bugs will have moved inside to hibernate. Experts say a good indoor stink bug trap with an LED light works best to attract stink bugs indoors.

To prevent stink bugs from taking over your home this winter, follow these tips from the pros:

* Seal up your castle. The first line of defense is to close your windows and doors, and seal up any openings where the bugs can enter. They can flatten out and slip through the cracks to hide in your house for winter.

* Create a barrier outdoors. Outdoors stink bugs are attracted to scent. Indoors they move to light. Place traps on porches, posts and trees around your home. New traps on the market catch both young and adult stink bugs with a pheromone attractant that lures them from up to 30 feet away.

* Check traps frequently. Make certain your traps are catching stink bugs. If not, move them to another spot. "Be vigilant," says Doug Oster, author of Grow Organic. "You have to out-smart them."

* Pick them off. When you see them on your plants, deck or curtains, pick them off with a tissue, drop in a cup of soapy water and flush down the toilet. Do not release outside. "These aren’t lady bugs," says Oster. "A dead stink bug is the only good stink bug."

* Seek and destroy them indoors. Once they migrate indoors, the bugs congregate in warm dark areas. Indoors they are attracted to light, not scent, so place your traps in attics, living areas and basements where the bugs gather to hibernate through the winter. "Light is what works indoors," Oster says. RESCUE! just introduced a new Stink Bug Light - an attachable LED proven to lure the bugs into the trap. The light easily snaps onto the Stink Bug Trap and plugs into either a wall outlet or battery pack.

* Don’t vacuum. If you vacuum, you’ll scare them and they will emit a foul odor that will linger in your vacuum cleaner and home. If you do, change and dispose the bag immediately.

For more information and great tips on how to beat stink bugs, visit http://www.rescue.com/.

-Karen
GMG

Lights! Camera! Action!

Although the weather was a bit iffy, the cameras rolled as Kathleen Hassinger, a master gardener, was filmed making 11 How-To videos for the new RESCUE! Stink Big Traps. For the past three days the crew shot video and took great images demonstrating how to put the traps together and where you should place them to catch the beasties.

"One flew right at me while we were shooting outdoors at the home of Steve (Castorani)," said Kathleen. Steve is the co-founder of American Beauties and owner of North Creek Nursery in Delaware. "Stink bugs are airborne and looking to come indoors," she said. "Now there's a trap that really works outdoors and indoors to stop them cold and we experienced that first-hand," said Kathleen.

Folks from Sterling International were also on hand to lend them their stink bug expertise.

We'll be sure to share the videos which will be helpful for everyone battling the bugs. Stay tuned.

Lynne
GMG

Buggy News!

Oh, joy. I spotted a nasty brown marmorated stink bug the other day casusally strolling up the living room wall in my friend's house. Not in any hurry- just creepy crawling along, looking for a nice dark, warm spot to hang out and overwinter 'til spring.

And where's there's one- you can bet your money there are more right behind trying to break into your home or office. They start to migrate indoors by mid-September- mid-October but if you see them indoors now, don't wait.

What to do? Well, you can try picking them off one by one and dropping them down the toilet or into a bucket of sudsy solution until they DIE. Or, wait until you catch them congregating on your window or ceiling and try to vacuum them up. But, this method is dicey since when frightened, they emit a foul odor that will linger in your vacuum cleaner and home. If you do, change and dispose the bag pronto.

Then there's sealing up your home like Ft. Knox by closing your windows and doors and sealing up any openings like cracks and crevices where bugs can enter. Does duct tape come in designer shades?

Personally, I prefer traps. You want indoor traps designed to lure and catch the stinkers and stop them in their tracks. Once they're breached the walls, you have to trap as many as possible before they go into hibernation.

There are a few traps available but the RESCUE! Stink Bug Trap is the only one that uses a scientifically developed LED light that's been tested and shown to be the most effective light frequency to draw and trap stink bugs. If you already have the RESCUE! trap outdoors, you can buy the attachable LED light for around $17.99 at most major retailers. It's easy to attach and lures the bugs like the Pied Piper. Once they dehydrate just dispose and reuse.

Let us know how it works for you. Be vigilant and stop stink bugs in their tracks!
~Lynne GMG

GMG Creates Buzz for Clients at IGC 2011

The 2011 IGC Show was a huge success. Here are some reflections:

The Garden Media Group dinner at the Park Grill. Kathleen chats with Stephanie Cates from RESCUE! and our friend Eric Liskey from Better Homes & Gardens. And Marta Maria Garcia chats with #Garden Chat's Bren Haas and Jim and Michael from The Organic Mechanic Co.

The Folks from Campania chatted with the team from The Philadelphia Flower Show.

Of course, we went gaga for Jamie Durie. He is so nice, genuine and approachable.
A huge hit at the show was the launch of RESCUE! Stink Bug trap with the indoor light attachment. Move over stink bugs. We've got a trap for that.

Loved the new and old natives from American Beauties, particularly Black-Eyed Susan, one of my perennial favorites!

Hines launched its new line of colorful plants for the garden, Bloomtastics. The collection features new plants and tried and true under-used show stoppers.

Love the new brand from Costa Farms, Berneckers, a premium line of indoor plants for interior-scapers and IGCs. Did you see the flyer for National Indoor Plant Week?

And did you feel the new Organic Mechanic Seed Starting mix - perfect for starting seeds in pots or in the ground.

Suzi

Garden Media Group

Walking the IGC Show

Psst! Suzi and Kathleen are floor walkers (communicators) at the 5th annual Independent Garden Center Show being held this week in the windy city.











From Stephanie Cates showcasing the new RESCUE! Stink Bug Traps to Suzi cozying up to Jamie Durie (Aussie landscaper and TV star of HGTV: Green Home) the GMG gals are on the prowl for hot plants and products to share with you.

Here's a beauty shot of the new Bloomtastic! Bambino Bougainvillea PPAF 'Sophia' from Hines Growers, showing it's stuff at IGC. She and the other Babies: 'Lauren' , 'Victoria' and 'Mia' are new additions to Bloomtastic! that are causing a stir and wowing the crowds.

Be sure to follow their tweets from the floor @SuziMcCoyGMG and @KatGMG. We'll keep you posted!

~Lynne GMG

They're multiplying. And some are airborne!

Recently I've been able to get some solid on-the-spot "recon" from my friend and colleague on her battle against stink bugs.

Peggy said she placed two RESCUE! Stink Bug Traps in her landscape a few weeks ago: one on a post and rail fence (touching the grass) and one hung under a deck, about 2 1/2 ft above the ground. (She said the area is shaded and is directly beneath her herb and veggie containers.)

Her fence trap, which gets full sun, began catching stink bugs within 2 days. She just put in the RESCUE! 7-week attractant and hung it in the same place. The one under the deck saw little action so she moved it to a sunny location, a lilac tree, with the trap fins touching branches and leaves. Voila! Stink Bugs are coming in but they ain't leaving the trap. Stuck inside to dehydrate and DIE.

Now, yesterday, Peggy was visiting her friend, Sheila (who has a gigantic garden) and they were checking out her plants and veggies. "Don't see any bugs," said Sheila. " Peggy arched her all-knowing brow and remarked, "Just wait... let's check the leaves."

Sure enough... guess what was lurking, attached to the squash leaves in clusters of sticky oval eggs along with newly hatched nymphs that look like creepy ticks with long antennae? Yep. Stink Bugs. The nymphs can't yet fly, but are very fast movers with voracious appetites.

They also saw a few fast moving "teenie boppers" that are about the size of pencil erasers, happily eating peppers, and more.

And people, people... the nymphs become airborne within 50 days or less, and can move throughout your garden and landscape and decimate your veggies, fruit and berries and ornamentals.

OK, so now that you are creeped out and about to race to your nearest retailer and get your RESCUE! Stink Bug Trap, here are a few quick Tips to assure successful victory:

If the RESCUE! Stink Bug Trap is catching stink bugs, but seems to slow down, check for spiderwebs at the entrance, or replace the attractant with a refill if it's been exceptionally hot for weeks.

Buy at least 2 traps: One touching blades or leaves where the nymphs are congregated and one hanging on a post or tree where the adults will be lured.

If you use mulch, check for adults: they hang out and are practically invisible. Place a trap nearby.

If the trap seems to be attracting fewer numbers, move it. Check frequently.

Recognize the enemy. Study Peggy's photos of the eggs and nymphs. Adult Stink Bugs have a shield-like appearance.

Break the cycle. Reduce the population in your little piece of heaven with the only trap that's been scientifically designed and tested to work. Trap and kill these stinkers before they switch gears in Sept/Oct and look for ways to get inside your home and overwinter, congregating in your attic - or crawl spaces- or dark, warm spots, waiting 'till spring arrives to buzz and dive-bomb us all once again.

If we all get involved, we may just stop this menace. Let us know how your battle is going! We're here to help.
Good luck!
~Lynne, GMG

Stamp out ugly, nasty stink bugs!

Stink Bugs. Those ugly, nasty, prehistoric-looking, shield shape insects that look like they should have a starring role in a SciFi movie of Stink Bug Zombies are creating havoc on crops and home landscapes and gardens.

They first appeared in Allentown, PA in 1998 (from Asia) and are reported in 33 states and spreading from coast-to-coast. Those of you in the "Red Zone" states: PA, DE, NJ, MD, VA and W.VA can look for the RESCUE! Stink Bug Traps in independent garden centers and major retail stores. To find a retailer near you, just click on RESCUE'S store finder:

To make matters worse, stink bugs are professional hitchhikers. So, it's only a matter of time before they come to an area near you. Eek!

Now, many of you may be saying to yourself: "Hey, I don't see any of these garden wreckers in my home - so where are they?"

They're in fields, yards and gardens, eating your plants and mating. The adult female lays eggs in masses generally on the underside of leaves, that hatch into nymphs. These baby eating machines don't have wings yet- and have only one focus: Eat plants.

And get this: Depending on the climate, warm spring and summer conditions can allow for up to two-three generations or more. The population can explode exponentially.

What is the food du jour these disgusting insects prefer? Um... everything from edible shrubs and trees to veggies and fruit. Got tomatoes? Stink Bugs love 'em. Peppers, apples, peaches, pears, plums, berries, corn.. you get the picture.

Don't have a veggie garden or fruit trees and berry bushes? 'Stinky' is opportunistic and will go for your foliage -and even your beloved roses.

So, how do we stop these disgusting invaders? Homemade traps are iffy and pesticides can be toxic to the environment, pets and kids!

This may sound corny... but I have to say it... finally, there's a new all-natural trap in town that's been been tested and trialed at the USDA's Beltsville, MD facility - and it works. Yay! It's called the RESCUE! Stink Bug Trap from Sterling International that's the first and only serious solution for this wretched infestation.

Gardeners will love it because it works and controls stink bugs in the most environmentally responsible, effective and low-maintenance way possible.

The trap works outdoors to catch the adult and ravenous young stink bugs, naturally. It uses a patent-pending technology that slowly releases a pheromone that's odorless to humans but powerful enough to lure stink bugs from up to 30 feet.

Tomorrow's blog will be on proper RESCUE! Stink Bug Trap placement for success and much more. Meanwhile, send us photos of your stink bug "invasion" and your gardens. Good luck!

~Lynne GMG

Stink bug photo credit: Wikipedia
photo of RESCUE! Stink Bug Trap: Sterling International