11.10.2025 15:42
The brown marmorated stink bug, which has rapidly spread from the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara, is no longer just a regional problem. According to experts, if no measures are taken, this invasive species could threaten all of Turkey in a short time. A mass spraying campaign has been launched to combat the insects that have invaded homes and caused significant damage to agricultural products in Sakarya and its surroundings.
```html
"The bug known as the 'end of the world' is back on the agenda in Turkey. The invasive species, which has emerged from hibernation, has invaded homes and agricultural areas in many provinces, especially in Sakarya, Samsun, Trabzon, and Giresun. Experts are warning all of Turkey.
SPREADING RAPIDLY FROM THE BLACK SEA TO MARMARA
The brown marmorated stink bug, first detected in Turkey in 2017, has rapidly multiplied in the Black Sea region in recent years, becoming a serious threat. Images of a building completely infested in Adapazarı have become a hot topic on social media, and similar reports have started to come in from Ünye, Giresun, Trabzon, and Samsun. The bugs that have invaded homes and caused significant damage to agricultural products in the Ferizli and Söğütlü districts of Sakarya have alarmed residents.
CALL FOR 'COLLECTIVE FIGHT' FROM AUTHORITIES
Ferizli District Governor Muhammed Kaya called for a collective fight against the invasion, stating that spraying will be carried out in accordance with the recommendations of the District Agriculture Directorate. In the Salıpazarı district of Samsun, teams from the Provincial Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry have started practical work in the field using the "attract-kill method."
"LONG-TERM FIGHT IS NECESSARY"
Gürsel Çakıroğlu, the Head of the Plant Production and Plant Health Branch of the Trabzon Provincial Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry, also made important warnings to citizens: "The brown marmorated stink bug requires a long-term fight. There is a heavy attack on homes. We are conducting biocidal spraying in 9 districts with 9 teams. Our citizens should spray inside their buildings and support us."
Çakıroğlu noted that the bugs generally hibernate in the gaps between bricks, wooden surfaces, and roof spaces.
IT COULD SPREAD TO ALL OF TURKEY
Dr. Yavuz Turan, a faculty member of the Biology Department at Marmara University, stated in an interview with Hürriyet newspaper, "Currently, the distribution area of this species appears to be all of the Black Sea and the northern part of Marmara. However, there are also records from Adana and Izmir in the literature. In addition, in the field studies I conducted, we also observed this species around Bilecik. If the fight is not effective, it may spread to all of Turkey. Therefore, serious, rational, and scientific measures need to be taken, without considering it as a temporary situation," he said.
CITIZENS ARE CONCERNED, AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS ARE IN DANGER
The brown marmorated stink bug, which causes significant damage to agricultural products, is worrying hazelnut, corn, vegetable, and fruit producers. Experts are calling for coordinated efforts to prevent both economic losses and to protect public health.
```