Environment and Outdoors

Maine Wants Citizens To Join Stink Bug Patrol

Maine Public | By Associated Press

Published November 6, 2017 at 6:11 AM EST

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This April 14, 2011 file photo shows a brown marmorated stink bug at a Penn State research station in Biglerville, Pa.

PORTLAND, Maine - Maine says its citizens can help the state's agriculture industry take on a nasty pest by assuming the role of stink bug detective.

The Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry says the brown marmorated stink bug is a major pest for farmers in some states. The bug is originally from Asia and was accidentally introduced into the mid-Atlantic states in the 1990s.

The stink bug later spread to 44 states, including Maine. Maine entomologists want to know how widespread it is here, and what risk it could pose for crops.

The state is asking residents to be on the lookout for the bug and report sightings via an online survey. The state's requiring a photo of the stink bug to make sure it's the right insect.