Citizen Scientists Wanted to help Monitor Stinkbugs

I've previously written about the value of Citizen Scientists. Citizen Scientists are individuals who help to monitor local wildlife trends by reporting various "critters" they see in their own yards. There are various Citizen Science programs for birds, butterflies, frogs and other critters. But now Jon Traunfeld, of the University of Maryland Extension, is asking for local citizens to help monitor Stink Bugs.

According to this post on Susan Reimer's Garden Variety Blog, Jon Traunfeld and the University of Maryland Extension are asking the rest of us to help keep track of stink bugs by noting which fruits or vegetables they are not just sitting on, but feeding on.

The extension service will compile the information to help develop a comprehensive list of the plants that stink bugs love the best. Right now, that list includes tomatoes, peppers, beans, corn, asparagus, raspberry, peach, pear and apple.

Let the extension know if the stink bugs are worse in your garden this year than last. Send him an email at jont@umd.edu

Also, check out the new floating row cover web page and photo gallery for some ideas on how to exclude pests, like the stink bug, from your garden plants. http://www.growit.umd.edu/ImproveGarden/FloatingRowCover/index.cfm