Media Soundbites news
A Stink Worse Than Its Bite W
Invasive insect has made its way to Michigan
e all know about the devastation caused by the Emerald Ash Borer, but there’s
a new invasive insect making its way to Washtenaw County that you might not have heard about yet. T e Brown Marmorated Stink Bug
is as stinky as the name implies and has already found its way into 36 states and the District of Columbia. Michigan has identifi ed it in at least 12 counties. According to Jamin Eisenbach, an
entomologist and professor in EMU’s Department of Biology, these Asian natives pose a possible threat to crops and may even invade our homes. Right now, Eisenbach reports, the
bug is at a “nuisance level” in Michigan, meaning that the insect has been found and is causing some damage, but the problem hasn’t escalated enough to warrant treating it. T e potential for damage, however, is severe. “T e reports that I’ve heard from 2010,
the really bad year, estimated between 30 and 40 million dollars in crop losses,” Eisenbach said in an interview with WEMU’s David Fair. “Sweet corn, soy beans, cherries, apples—you
name it, they love it.” Right now the only way for farmers to
protect their crops is through the use of approved pesticides, but investigations being done in Asia are exploring biological deterrents as well. What happens if this pesky explorer
gets into your home? Don’t worry—their stink is worse than their bite. Eisenbach says there are no direct health concerns for humans, as the bug is not capable of
“The reports that I’ve heard from 2010, the really bad year, estimated between 30 and 40 million dollars in crop losses,” Eisenbach said in an interview with WEMU’s David Fair. “Sweet corn, soy beans, cherries, apples—you name it, they love it.”
8 Eastern | SPRING 2014
biting people. But if they do get into your home,
they’ll populate—and fast. T ere have even been reports of people in the U.S. removing them with shovels and fi ve- gallon buckets. “Close all the gaps in your walls, caulk
your windows, do not give them any way to enter your home,” Eisenbach says. And if they do get in, use your vacuum.3 —Melissa Jasperse
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40