New stink bug makes first appearance in Minnesota

An insect that has made a pest of itself across the eastern U.S. has turned up in Minnesota - and in a surprising location.

The first detection of the brown marmorated stink bug in the state was at the Minnesota Department of Agriculture's own lab in St. Paul.

Lab staffers found an unusual insect on some new equipment delivered late last week. They called in experts who announced Monday it was a brown marmorated stink bug.

Plant protection chief Geir Friisoe says it likely hitched a ride in the boxes for the new equipment.

The stink bugs are a significant pest of fruit trees, vegetables and soybeans. And they can be a nuisance when then enter homes and other buildings in the autumn to escape the cold. They release a foul odor when disturbed.

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Online: MDA stink bug page

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