Insecticide temporarily approved to battle stink bugs
Wednesday, Jun. 29 by Laura Peters
http://www.loudountimes.com/index.php/news/article/insecticide_temporarily_approved_to_battle_stink_bugs123/

The Environmental Protection Agency has granted temporary approval of the insecticide Dinotefuran for limited agricultural use to counteract stink bugs in Virginia, according to a release.

The EPA is allowing the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to use this insecticide on apples and peaches to fight the infestation of brown marmorated stink bugs, according to U.S. Rep. Frank Wolf (R-10th).

Dinotefuran, which is an insecticide that is regulated for commercial pesticide control for other agricultural products, such as melons or grapes, is normally regulated under section 18 of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act, according to a release.

“I commend the EPA for moving quickly to allow Virginia a temporary exemption to regulate the use of this insecticide while efforts continue on a permanent fix,” Wolf said in a statement.

The EPA exemption is effective for Virginia through Oct. 15 and would allow Virginia farmers and growers to use the product for stink bug control. The EPA has also issued guidelines for the use of the insecticide that may have harmful effects, like the toxicity to honey bees, according to a statement.

Wolf has been leading the stink bug army to find a winning solution to the infestation. He held a forum in April in Purcellville with two researchers who spoke about the insecticide Dinotefuran.

Wolf has also included in the fiscal 2012 agriculture appropriations bill that is now working its way through Congress a measure that would make stink bugs a top priority of the United States Department of Agriculture.

The bill has been passed in the House and is up for consideration in the Senate.

I saw a sign outisde a store on the drive in to work this morning which advertised they had stink bug repellent, I guess this is the stuff.

You know, I haven't seen that many so far

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W.W.S.D. what would Scooby Doo

First couple of warm weeks there were plenty of them, but not since then.

They are all out eating trees and making babies. You will see TONS of them at the tail end of the summer and when it starts to cool down in the fall, they will swarm your house to get in and hibernate for winter. Nasty, useless creatures. I'm glad Wolf has proposed the USDA make it a top priority, it should be.

Price Wrote:
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> First couple of warm weeks there were plenty of
> them, but not since then.


Yeah, same here.

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"And if any women or children get their legs torn off, or faces caved in, well, it's tough shit for them." -2LT. Bert Stiles, 505th, 339th (On Berlin Bombardier Mission, 1944).

I'm telling you, just wait til fall. They get worse every year.

It would be greatly appreciated if posters on this website were to keep us all informed of the progress of Rep. Frank Wolf's measure in the Ag Appropriations Bill for 2012. The BMSB is a serious pest and should be treated as such. I would like to hear of everything proposed and practiced to combat it.

Thanks.
Marylandmojo