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Anyone looking for miracle solution to the stink bug problem, evident in the region since last summer, will have to hold out a little longer, according to experts who spoke at a meeting about the pests in Emmitsburg Friday.

A group of more than 100 people, made up of farmers, gardeners and homeowners, gathered in a building on the Mount St. Mary's University campus to see what scientists are doing in an attempt to curb the ever-growing stink bug population.

U.S. Rep. Roscoe G. Bartlett (R-Dist. 6) of Buckeystown organized the meeting, where a panel comprised of agricultural researchers and specialists spoke to the crowd about the avenues they are exploring to keep the insects from ruining produce.

The Brown Marmorated stink bug is native to Eastern Asia and was first collected in the U.S. in Allentown, Pa., in 1998, according to the USDA. Farmers and agriculture officials within Frederick County say the insect has no natural predators in the U.S., and has taken a serious toll on regional crops.

The last time Bartlett had a meeting about stink bugs was in the fall. He has been vocal about the bug issue since learning of it last summer. Among other things, he organized a briefing about the invasive species for members of Congress and congressional staff by environmental and agricultural specialists.

Bartlett and the scientists who spoke Friday say stink bugs are going to be an even more intrusive pest and an even larger threat to crops this spring.

Catoctin Mountain Orchard in Thurmont is one of six Maryland farms that the United States Department of Agriculture teams are using as test sites, said Dr. Tracy Leskey, a research entomologist for the USDA, who has been a key player in stink bug research.

Leskey noted that this is the first year that scientists will get a chance to test their methods of stink bug population control for an entire crop cycle, from now through the late-summer harvest.

Last year, monitoring only began in July. Among the methods research teams have tested are 3-foot-tall traps that are baited with an "attractant," which seems to draw the bugs toward them.

The prototypes were much more effective than stink bug traps that are sold in Asian countries to which the bugs are native, Leskey said.

Scientists are also experimenting with a natural pheromone attractant, and are in the process of testing the insects' reactions to certain types and concentrations of light. Conclusions of this testing could be instrumental in future methods of population control, she said.

Although the methods being researched won't be ready for growing season this year, scientists have also identified certain compounds and sprays that can help to manage the stink bug population in the meantime.

Dr. Chris Bergh, an associate professor at Virginia Tech and an agricultural research extension center employee, presented a digital slide show about those methods and provided suggestions of when and where to spray based on behaviors that scientists and farmers have observed in the bugs.

For example, some farmers have reported a larger concentration of the insects where their crops back up to wooded areas, or have seen more of the bugs at dusk than during the day, he said.

He warned that his tips would not "make or break" the 2011 season, but that there are some tools that can be used to minimize damage done to produce.

While the battle against stink bugs is far from over, "we're narrowing the list of tools and products available for Brown Marmorated stink bugs," he said.

Farmers and growers said after the event that they felt much more knowledgeable about where to go for up-to-date information about stink bugs then they were before.

Guy Moore, who owns Larriland Farm in Woodbine, said he came to the event to learn how to keep stink bugs at bay. "The American consumer has minimal tolerance for imperfections on fruits and vegetables," he said.

He learned some new information and now knows who to contact to keep himself informed about ongoing research as the season goes on, he said.

Woody Woodruff, owner of Red Wiggler Community Farm in Clarksburg, said he felt "much better connected" to the community of scientists researching stink bugs because of the panel of experts.

"We know who the key players are," he said.

Although he recognizes the large threat that stink bugs pose to farmers, he was glad to know that scientists are conducting thorough research and "recognize that there is no silver bullet" that will fix the issue immediately.

Whatever solution they eventually come up with, it's going to have to be "multi-dimensional," he said.

Leskey agreed.

"It's going to be an integrated solution," she said. In the meantime, she encourages farmers and gardeners to reach out to their local university extension offices.

"They are there to provide information to growers" and "share the latest updates in terms of research," she said.

cpomeroy@gazette.net

Who to call for help

The University of Maryland Extension Office in Frederick County: 301-600-1594

USDA Agricultural Research Services: 304-725-3451 or 301-504-8800

USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services: 410-349-9708

USDA Farm Service Agency: 443-482-2760

USDA Rural Development Office: 301-797-0500 ext. 5

Maryland State Department of Agriculture: 410-841-5700

Maryland Farm Bureau: 410-922-3426