Brown Stink Bug

Many mid-coast cotton fields have had open bolls for several weeks now.  The latest cotton is now at cutout, 5 nodes above white flower (NAWF).  The last of the insect pests we are concerned about in the recently cutout cotton fields is stink bugs.

Stink bugs can cause economic losses until the field has reached 350 heat units after 5 NAWF.  Heat units are calculated by subtracting the average of the day’s high and low temperatures from 60.  This week’s forecast predicts highs of 94° and lows near 75°.  This would result in 24.5 heat units per day.  Thus, to reach 350 heat units and a crop safe from stink bugs will require about 15 days.