The redbanded stink bug is a more infamous stink bug in the Gulf States, but after a couple of warm winters, this soybean pest can find its way into Tennessee. This has happened once before in the last 15 years, and based on observations to our south, I’m betting we will encounter it again towards the end of this season.

I’m hoping and expecting that economically damaging infestations will not occur or will only occur on our latest maturing fields, but it doesn’t hurt to be alert. Although I’m betting on a late arrival, perhaps late August and into September, it won’t hurt to keep our eyes open. Like our other stink bug pests, the redbanded stink bug is a seed feeder, and populations tend to increase as field hit R5 and R6 in maturity. A picture of an adult and nymphs is shown below. The distinctive characteristic of adults is a well defined red band across the back of the thorax, but this band is black or yellow in some specimens.

The bad news is that redbanded stink bugs cause more damage to more mature beans and are harder to control that our other stink bug pests. The suggested treatment threshold is 4 redbanded stink bugs per 25 sweeps (or 2 bugs per 6 row feet). Preferred treatments are 0.75-1.0 lbs ai of acephate per acre, Belay at 4-6 oz per acre, Endigo ZC at 4 oz per acre, or bifenthrin (Brigade, Discipline, etc.) at the full labeled rate. You could also consider a combination of bifenthrin (5-6 oz) + acephate at a minimum of 0.5 lb ai per acre.