Chemical Controls

The Challenge

Pesticide Information and Programs

If you plan to use chemical controls for BMSB, be sure to comply with federal regulations and with state laws, which vary from state to state.

Cooperative Extension. For recommendations in your state, contact your local Cooperative Extension office.

Pesticide Safety Education Program (PSEP). Pesticide Safety Education coordinators, based at land grant universities in each state, provide objective information about pesticide safety and regulations.

State Pesticide Regulatory Agencies. The National Pesticide Information Center links to the agencies responsible for regulating pesticide use in each state.

IR-4 Program. To request regulatory approval for a product to control BMSB on a specific crop, contact the IR-4 program. Edith Lurvey serves as IR-4’s representative to the BMSB Working Group and can assist with initiating requests.

Specialty crop growers face tough choices about protecting their farms against brown marmorated stink bug. Some have sprayed aggressively to keep BMSB in check, despite uncertainty about which products effectively control it. But broad-spectrum sprays also kill beneficial insects that help to control pest populations, presenting a setback for growers who use integrated pest management to promote nature’s own checks and balances on their farms. In addition, the risk of pest resistance increases with greater use of chemical products.

Research Response

Project researchers are working to identify insecticides that effectively control BMSB. Their goal is to provide information that will help growers select materials based on their economic and environmental impacts, and then incorporate them into IPM programs for specific specialty crops.

Updates, Findings, and Related Resources

June 19, 2018 BMSB Management Survey for Commercial Producers

Participate in a nationwide survey to gather information from farmers and growers on the economic impact of the brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) on agriculture.



February 1, 2018 IPM Crop Perimeter Restructuring

The implementation of IPM Crop Perimeter Restructuring (IPM-CPR) for the management of key tree fruit pests may be less costly, more sustainable, enhance biological control, and be just as effective as current standard management methods.



February 21, 2017 Controlling Pests: Brown Marmorated Stink Bug

This general pest overview from the EPA includes links to press releases on pesticide exemptions. Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.



December 15, 2015 Vegetables

This new guidance document for vegetable growers provides a synopsis of what researchers have learned so far and management recommendations using an integrated approach. Available in English and Spanish.



September 29, 2014 From Asia: Sustainable Insights into Stink Bugs

A collection of articles originally published in Asia yields a bounty of insights into the brown marmorated stink bug.



April 16, 2014 Chemical Control Guidelines for BMSB in Sweet Corn

These recommendations for the mid-Atlantic are based on demonstrated efficacy in research trials. Source: Brown Marmorated Stink Bug Working Group, April 2014.