There may be a new enemy for Illinois soybean farmers—and a stinky situation at that.

Join CCA Soy Envoy Stephanie Porter in this latest podcast to learn about the pest to watch for this August—the stink bug.

There are several different species of stink bugs, but the enemy for Illinois soybean farmers is the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug. Known as an agricultural pest, it commonly feeds on fruits and vegetables. However, it is quite the hitchhiker and will easily spread to other crops, such as soybeans.

In soybeans, the stink bug will use its piercing, sucking mouthparts to poke through the pod and damage the beans, causing them to shrivel or flatten. This yield-robbing pest can be controlled with most insecticides, but growers need to watch for it and actively scout fields for its appearance.

“Growers need to be looking now, in mid August,” says Porter. “We want to protect the pods against these critters.”

Porter recommends that if there are four or more stink bugs in one net sweep, the grower should contact an agronomist and ask for control recommendations.

To hear all of Porter’s advice and learn about the soybean stink bug effect, tune in to this month’s podcast.