A number of producers from Emilia Romagna as well as Michele Preti, a technician from Centro di Saggio ASTRA (Agency for technological experimentation and environmental research) reported that, although the problem has not been solved, it seems that the brown marmorated stink bug has offered some respite this year. "Some businesses have reported hefty damages, sometimes even exceeding 30%. However, the problem has been less evident, at least until late August," explains Preti.
The average number of captures was much lower than in 2019, though the situation has worsened in September. As regards the causes, Preti talks about a series of things.
"It could be that the frost in spring slowed down their natural cycle. Another positive factor is containment, thanks to multiple natural parassitoids. This is encouraging for the future as well."
"We must not lower our guard, though, as all strategies must be enacted to contain the population." One of the options is passive defense using nets. They have given excellent results even though, once again, it must be stressed that they are not sufficient on their own, just like all the other containment methods. They must be integrated with other systems. i.e. chemicals and traps, and attention must be paid never to leave any gaps.