Authorities in Samsun, northern Türkiye, continue intensive winter shelter control efforts against the brown marmorated stink bug, a highly destructive agricultural pest responsible for significant yield and quality losses across a wide range of crops.
The campaign is focused on the Çarşamba district, where agricultural officials are carrying out systematic interventions to curb the spread of the pest, which poses a major risk to high-value products including hazelnuts, apples, pears, kiwifruit, peaches, walnuts, persimmons, corn, beans, tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, figs, rice and soybeans.
Due to its biological life cycle, the brown marmorated stink bug seeks sheltered environments for overwintering when air temperatures fall below 15-16 degrees Celsius (59-60 degrees Fahrenheit). During this period, the pest migrates to enclosed spaces such as houses, barns, haylofts, warehouses and roof cavities, prompting authorities to intensify control efforts in identified winter shelter sites across the province.
Speaking on the ongoing operations on Friday, Samsun provincial director of Agriculture and Forestry, Kemal Yılmaz, emphasized that mechanical control remains the primary and preferred method in winter shelter management. He underlined that the collection and destruction of the pest forms the basis of the strategy, particularly in residential and enclosed areas.
Yılmaz noted that in locations where mechanical methods are not feasible or where the pest is found in dense clusters, only biocidal products licensed by the Ministry of Health for use against the brown marmorated stink bug are permitted. He stressed that such products must be applied exclusively by trained professional operators and warned that plant protection products are strictly prohibited during winter shelter control operations.
As part of the campaign, winter shelter control activities were carried out in the Karaağaç neighborhood of the Çarşamba district using biocidal products supplied by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. All necessary safety and protective measures were implemented during the operations, which were conducted under the supervision of specialized “Brown Marmorated Stink Bug Technical Teams.”
Officials reported that winter shelter control measures have so far been implemented in a total of 4,569 structures across the district. The interventions form part of a broader, planned strategy aimed at preventing the pest’s spread and minimizing potential damage ahead of the upcoming agricultural production season.
Authorities stated that the campaign will continue in a coordinated and systematic manner throughout Çarşamba and surrounding areas, with field monitoring, public awareness efforts and technical oversight remaining integral components of the response.
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