Gov’t to Resume Anti-Sting Bug Measures from January

Georgian government will launch measures against the Brown Marmorated Bugs, so-called Asian stink bugs, from this month.

The list of measures was accepted at a governmental commission led by Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze on January 14.

The adopted plan covers steps of greater effectiveness and efficiency, including improved communication with the population.

“Namely, areas to be covered by the deployed spraying machinery, farmers will get information on various measures to be carried on specific days through text messages sent to their mobile phones,” the Governmental Administration reports.

The commission also summarized the work already carried out within the scope of the fight against the stink bugs in the previous years, positively assessed by the international experts.

“Plan developed on the grounds of the experience gained in previous years and recommendations shared by the subject matter specialists will further increase the effectiveness and efficiency of measures planned against the bugs in 2019,” the administration added.

Asian stink bugs devastated nearly the whole nut harvest in the western regions of Georgia last three years, which caused great damage to Georgian citizens and the country’s economy.

Georgian government’s Strategy against Brown Marmorated Bugs 2018 included four main directions: information campaign, implementation of the monitoring system, stink bug control measures and scientific research works.

During the spring the government had arranged pheromones traps in the forests and reserved areas in the western part of the country.

Various state agencies and ministries were also given specific tasks:

The task of the Ministry of Regional Development and Infrastructure was to coordinate the tasks issued to local self-government, after which the ministry mobilized appropriate equipment and human resources throughout the country.

Last year, the Ministry of Labor, Health and Social Affairs of Georgia was responsible for informing the population - information booklets about fighting stink bugs were prepared.

The Ministry of Education worked with scientists, while the Ministry of Finance strengthened the phytosanitary regime at the borders.

Brown Marmorated Bugs spread very quickly. They eat not only nuts but grains, corn and other vegetables. They were first reported in Georgia in 2016.