21 Mar 2025
Niab is monitoring brown marmorated stink bug, an invasive pest native to Asia, in a Defra-funded project.
The adult bugs were first recorded in the UK in 2018 and for the first time in 2024, we found juvenile stages.
The pest not only causes damage to fresh fruit and vegetables but can also wander into homes in the autumn to keep warm, emitting an unpleasant odour… hence stink bug.
The surveillance programme has recorded increasing numbers in and around caravans and motorhomes returning from overseas where the pest is established. Niab is working with the UK’s caravan and camping clubs to alert travellers to be on the lookout for the hitch hiking bugs in their vehicles and to contact bmsb [at] niab.com if they find any to help track and monitor the spread.
