New study: ethyl formate with nitrogen is effective against BMSB
A new study in Pest Management Science has found that ethyl formate diluted with nitrogen is an effective biosecurity treatment for brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB). The research was led by Murdoch University’s Harry Butler Institute, with scientists from the Chinese Academy of Inspection and Quarantine and South Korea’s Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency.
The study found that ethyl formate concentrations above 12 mg/L, without dilution in carbon dioxide, achieved complete mortality of both non-diapausing and diapausing BMSB in 3 hour exposures. This was at a dose lower than the currently registered 90 mg/L. Carbon dioxide is a synergist in fumigation but is also a greenhouse gas. The authors set out to show that nitrogen, an inert gas, can be used as the carrier instead.
The authors include UBL founder Professor Simon McKirdy and the late Professor Yong Lin Ren. The findings support ethyl formate delivered with nitrogen, the approach behind UBL’s Fume8 technology.
