KVH staff are once again on the hunt for one of New Zealand’s most unwanted pests, the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (BMSB).

Over the past week, we’ve deployed traps across Tauranga, Mount Maunganui and Te Puke as part of the kiwifruit industry’s ongoing commitment to protecting orchards from this high‑risk pest.

BMSB is one of the most significant biosecurity threats facing New Zealand’s kiwifruit industry, as overseas it has reduced fruit yields by around 10-30 percent through feeding damage and increased the risk of storage rots. Kiwifruit growers are not alone in their concern; wine grapes, apples and pears and other horticultural sectors are also at risk from this stinky bug.

BMSB is notorious for hitchhiking on imported goods, particularly used vehicles, machinery and shipping containers arriving from countries where the pest is established. In response, the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) has led a national surveillance programme since 2018. This surveillance focuses on high‑risk import pathways, including transitional facilities where BMSB has previously been intercepted and sites receiving large volumes of goods from risk countries. For the 2025–2026 season, MPI has significantly increased national surveillance, expanding to 300 traps nationwide, almost doubling its efforts. This increase reflects growing concern following an increase in post‑border BMSB detections in Australia last season.

Alongside the national programme, the kiwifruit industry continues to play a proactive role through industry‑led surveillance delivered by KVH in conjunction with SPS Biota. The programme began in 2023 and now in its third season, KVH is also increasing its trapping efforts. The team are also trialling a new trap type from Australia, which will assess usability and effectiveness under New Zealand field conditions, helping inform future surveillance tools for the industry.

Site selection for BMSB traps has been guided by a research project led by John Kean, which used risk mapping to assess the likelihood of entry and establishment of seven key biosecurity threats to the kiwifruit industry. The outcomes of this work included recommendations on how the industry could optimise additional surveillance to complement existing national programmes. For BMSB, the report identified 20 additional sites across the country including the Bay of Plenty where trapping would add the greatest value. Many of these locations are urban areas, where pests are most likely to arrive and establish initially, providing the best opportunity for early detection and eradication. This high‑risk season, KVH has established traps across these identified sites, as well as at kiwifruit nurseries, orchards and post‑harvest facilities. This approach strengthens the industry’s ability to detect BMSB early, should it arrive beyond the border.

Surveillance this season is also benefiting from improved data collection tools from SPS Biota. Using field‑based mapping technology, KVH staff are capturing trapping and inspection data through a live, interactive platform. This approach is transforming how field information is collected and managed, providing faster access to surveillance data. Trapping will run for 12 weeks over the high‑risk season with traps being checked fortnightly, alongside vegetation searches to identify any of these unwanted stinkers.

A huge thanks to the post-harvest facilities, council and homeowners who have allowed us to set up traps on their property.

Read more about BMSB, including latest detection data, here.

Image: Roanne and Anna from KVH installing an aerodynamic BMSB trap in the Bay of Plenty.