With spring well underway summer is now knocking at the door, as is the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (BMSB) threat to New Zealand.

Every summer KVH, alongside the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) and other industry groups through the GIA partnership, goes on high alert to keep this stinky pest out of New Zealand. This year is no different. As always, engaging the general public to join in the fight against BMSB is key and so the annual nationwide awareness campaign to remind everyone to keep watch for this potential invader is underway.

The advertising highlights how the bugs can infest homes and gardens and stresses the public nuisance of BMSB establishing in New Zealand. It encourages everyone to get involved and be our eyes. As well as the general public, we’re also continuously reminding those who might encounter a hitchhiking BMSB – including growers, pack houses, transitional facilities, airport staff, and importers.

The campaign is running ads online, in magazines, greeting arrivals at airports, and displaying posters in garden centres. Plus, we’ll again be using Ruud ‘the bug man’ Kleinpaste as a BMSB spokesperson across social media and interrupting viewers on news media services.

Remember to keep an eye out on your property, on your plants, your vegies, your fruit – and anywhere in your garden. It’s about the size of a 10-cent coin and is noticeable by its black and white banding on the antennae and abdomen. If you think you see one, catch it, take a photo and call the Biosecurity New Zealand pest hotline on 0800 80 99 66.

For more information and videos visit the BMSB page of the KVH website.