There is a lot of talk about brown marmorated stink bugs, but green shield bugs (Palomena prasina) can also be harmful. Albano Bergami, President of OI Pera and fruit producer from Ferrara, reports that the situation is worrying, especially in some orchards near the Po river.
Bugs kept away from pear trees thanks to nets (azienda Bergami)
"Domestic shield bugs also cause damage, I've seen it on apples as a red dot forms where they sting. Problems could become much more serious if there are lots of insects in the area."
Bergami protected various orchards with nets - 10 hectares of pear orchards near the Po banks have been protected. Old anti-hail nets can also be adapted for the same purpose."
Other nations should also start worrying. For example, there are lots of pear orchards in the Netherlands and brown marmorated stink bugs have been spotted in the southern regions (photo below). However, the climate is different and the insect should find it difficult to multiply.
Photo taken at the Eindhoven airport in late September 2018