Keep an Eye Out for Brown Marmorated Stink Bug
Mike Basedow, Tree Fruit Specialist
Eastern New York Commercial Horticulture
The brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB), an invasive insect pest of apples, peaches, grapes, nuts, vegetable crops and more, has been on our minds and in our crops and homes for years now. Many growers we've spoken with in NY are most familiar with this pest because of their habit of overwintering in homes and barns, often aggregated in large numbers. However, increasingly often, we're speaking with growers who also see them or their damage in orchard blocks. While we expect there to be low BSMB pressure in Northern NY, they are established in the Hudson Valley, and are believed to now be a nuisance to growers as far north as the Mohawk Valley and Saratoga County.
Keep an Eye Out for Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (pdf; 210KB)

Upcoming Events
Managing the Invasive Swede Midge Webinar
March 6, 2026 : Managing the Invasive Swede Midge Webinar
Swede midge is an invasive fly that causes serious economic losses to brassica crops. Due to its small size and hidden feeding habits, swede midge is often called an "invisible pest" and damage may be misdiagnosed. In this webinar, we will review the swede midge life cycle and crop damage symptoms, current management recommendations, new research findings, and highlights from on-farm case studies with a focus on organic management.
New Farm Manager Skills Day - Get the Tools You Need to Grow Your People (Hudson Valley)
March 10, 2026 : New Farm Manager Skills Day - Get the Tools You Need to Grow Your People
Millbrook, NY
Are you moving into a supervisory farm management role this season and want to get off to a good start? Are you an experienced manager who wants to connect with other "people" managers and work on your skills? This one-day workshop is for you!
SPARC WSU Tree Fruit Heat School
March 11, 2026
As part of our multi-state SPARC SCRI project on mitigating orchard heat and cold stress, the WSU Tree Fruit Heat School will focus on understanding and managing heat-related challenges in apple and pear production. The program brings together research-based insights and applied discussions on sunburn physiology and mitigation, red color development in apples and pears, and the impacts of heat on postharvest storage and fruit quality. Each session will include an expert presentation, followed by a panel discussion with panelists from across the US.
