Invasive Stink Bugs and Related Species (Pentatomoidea)

314 Invasive Stink Bugs and Related Species (Pentatomoidea)

rain might wash insecticides into streams are prohibited, thus limiting the potential for run-off or drift
to urban surface water. In addition to expanding restrictions on pyrethroid and pyrethrin use, the United
States Environmental Protection Agency in 2013 implemented a series of changes to restrict the use
of neonicotinoid insecticides to limit exposure to pollinators (United States Environmental Protection
Agency 2015). This effort included changing pesticide labels to limit applications to protect bees, includ-
ing limiting application of neonicotinoids while bees are foraging in non-agricultural settings.
The proximity of source(s) of adult Megacopta cribraria to structures has made sustained control dif-
ficult. Although removal of kudzu, usually the source of infestations, is an option, the source kudzu is
often on private property or nearby property owned and managed by a local government municipality
or other branch of government (Figure 5.4A). These source areas cannot be treated without permission.
And, due to labor cost and other complications that might come with replacement vegetation associated
with remediation, kudzu removal is typically not an option. Additionally, some state regulatory bodies
may require additional licensing to treat those areas away from the structure or vegetation with any
chemical, such as an insecticide or herbicide. Homeowners, though, desperate for relief from fall popu-
lations of M. cribraria, have been known to remove source patches of kudzu (Figure 5.4B). Ultimately,
the elimination of M. cribraria from homes will require source reduction, which, in turn, may alter the
pattern of bug movement towards nearby homes.

A

B

FIGURE 5.4 Association of Megacopta cribraria, kudzu, and residences. A, residence in Gainesville, GA, that suffered
nuisance invasions of Megacopta cribraria from kudzu (foreground) on government-maintained property [reproduced with
permission from Suiter et al. (2010)]; B, homeowners in Barnesville, GA, desperate for relief from fall invasions, removed
patches of kudzu from adjacent property (Courtesy of Dan R. Suiter).