Information has been received from the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources advising that the Brown Marmorated Stink Bugs, previously a nuisance with shipments from the United States, are now becoming an issue for shipments arriving into Australia from Europe.
The Brown Marmorated Stink Bugs are now spreading throughout Europe. The Department are now monitoring all cargo and vessels arriving from ports with high level risks into Australia.
At this point, low levels of the bugs have been detected in Australia. Should these levels increase, it is possible that pre-shipment treatment requirements from high risk ports (such as Northern Italy) will be introduced.
The following preventative actions should be considered for all imported cargo into Australia from Europe:
- ensuring shipping containers are cleaned and free of biosecurity contamination (eg. live animals, plant and animal material, insects, and soil)
- covering goods during transport from manufacturer to port
- securing potential contamination points (e.g. door and window seals where goods are stored, and cabins and nooks within the goods themselves)
- treating target goods prior to loading, using the treatment conditions listed on the department’s website
- using traps to indicate any sign of infestation – a simple trap can include a bright lamp at night with a bucket of water containing detergent underneath.
The Brown Marmorated Stink Bug is one of the world’s most significant plant pests. They can attack around three hundred different plant species and could seriously harm Australia’s $8.7 billion horticulture sector.
Want to know what a Brown Marmorated Stink Bug looks like? 
“Adults are 12‐17 millimetres long and mottled with a faint reddish tinge. While there are species of stink bugs that look similar, adult brown marmorated stink bugs have distinctive black and white banding around the edge of the abdomen with white bands on the last two antennal segments.”
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