Following on from our hitchhiker pest awareness campaign earlier in 2023, we’ve had a recent uplift in reports from people returning from overseas, after they discovered bugs in their personal effects.
One discovery was reported in Victoria when a traveller returning from Tuscany, Italy found a Brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) in their glasses case.
The quick-thinking traveller snapped the case shut, trapping the bug inside until they could contain it properly and call our See. Secure. Report. hotline.
A second case in South Australia saw another single BMSB hiding in the spine of a childrens book. The traveller was unpacking his luggage after a recent trip to the USA when the hitchhiker revealed itself. Quickly containing the pest and reporting the threat has saved over 300 plant species from being put at risk by this unwanted pest.
Foreign bugs and beetles can have a devasting effect on Australia’s agriculture industries including destroying billions of dollars’ worth of crops. Don’t dismiss these pests, regardless of how small or harmless they may seem.
Take action, Call us on our See. Secure. Report. hotline 1800 798 636 or report your discovery using our online reporting form.
