In most of NY the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug doesn't seem to be much of a pest yet. Researchers at Cornell's Hudson Valley Lab would like to map its occurrence and spread in NY and they are asking folks in NY to either email a good pic of a suspected BMSB or ship the actual insect to them for a positive ID (the bug need not be alive, just not smushed beyond recognition, lol). There is a map of confirmed 2010 and 2011 sightings and an address where a pic can be emailed or a captured specimen sent for positive ID at [url]http://hudsonvf.cce.cornell.edu/bmsb1.html[/url]

There are also good pics of some look-alike stinkbugs with comments on how to distinguish them from a BMSB at [url]http://hudsonvf.cce.cornell.edu/scouting%20reports/BMSB%20Project/BMSB%20Update%20in%20New%20York%20State%20%20Fall%202011.pdf[/url]

Rutgers posted the same thing last year. I mailed in my sample, lol.

Kath, I pretty much do as you...I keep a jar on the porch with dead stinkbugs in it floating in soapy water. Gross, I know but it does work.

Lakelady, I have a similar jar. It just contains hornworms rather than stink bugs.

Yeah, It's pretty gross.

But it beats having them munching on the plants any day!

The bugs in the containers aren't too gross unless you leave them in the jars too long./puke

Was hoping that they would go some where else this year but just found two small ones on my maters and flicked them into a cup of soapy water.

george