Brown stinkbugs are one of the three primary species found in Georgia. This species is very tolerant of pyrethroids, the cheapest insecticide at the farmers’ disposal.

One of the toughest crop pests to stop in Georiga is also the most economically devastating — the stinkbug.

 With piercing, sucking mouth parts, stinkbugs feed on cotton bolls, destroy the seeds and prohibit the growth of lint — the harvestable part of the cotton, according to Michael Toews, an associate professor of entomology on the Tifton campus of the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

 “My job is to identify and develop cost-effective ways of managing stink bugs that preserve yield and fiber quality for Georgia cotton farmers,” Toews said. “Currently, in the state of Georgia, this is our No. 1 economically limiting insect pest.”

Toews estimates most Georgia cotton farmers will spray at least once for stinkbugs during the bloom cycle.

See Saturday’s edition for more details.