The spread of pests has alarmed farmers in Dagestan.

The appearance of the marble bug in agricultural areas threatens crop loss, and appeals to the authorities have proven ineffective, residents of the southern regions of Dagestan complained. The authorities of the districts and settlements must participate in the fight against the pest, noted the Rosselkhoznadzor.

As reported by "Caucasian Knot", the marble bug is an agricultural pest that does not pose a threat to human health but damages fruit, melon crops, berry bushes, and vineyards. The flat territory of Dagestan is a favorable zone for the spread of the marble bug. Since it occupies about 45% of the area of the republic, the appearance of the bug could turn into a disaster for agriculture, said the Rosselkhoznadzor in 2018.

Residents of the southern regions of Dagestan complained to a correspondent of the "Caucasian Knot" about the spread of marble bugs. They fear that the insects will cause significant damage to personal subsidiary farms and the relic Samur Forest, where bugs have also been spotted.

22:01 05.07.2018

Residents of Abkhazia found the measures against the bug effective

Garden crops in Abkhazia, affected by the invasion of the brown marble bug, are yielding a good harvest this year, residents of Abkhazia reported. The use of chemicals and manual collection of the pest yielded results without harming beekeeping, the Ministry of Agriculture and the Association of Beekeepers of Abkhazia reported.

In particular, a resident of the Magaramkent district Rasim reported that recently marble bugs have been found on residents' plots "everywhere".

"We appealed to the district authorities for help with chemicals or to send services to exterminate the pests, but there has been no proper response. They said that plot owners should take measures themselves," Rasim said.

A farmer from the Magaramkent district Ramiz fears that the pest could destroy all crops. "In the district, residents of the villages live off agriculture, everyone has plots with crops. If they perish, we will lose our sources of income for our families," he said.

A resident of the Derbent district Ali also reported that there is an invasion of marble bugs. According to him, people do not know how to fight them.

The fight against the pest is a common task for plot owners, administrations, and forestry services.

The administration of the Magaramkent district acknowledged on October 7 that residents of the district are complaining about the brown marble bug.

"By law, the fight against the pest is a common task for plot owners, administrations, and forestry services. The main breeding site is the Samur Forest. The Rosselkhoznadzor has already sent warnings to the administrations of Southern Dagestan, the Samur forestry, and the Committee for Forestry. Visits are planned in response to citizens' complaints," the publication in the municipality's Telegram channel states.

The Rosselkhoznadzor published recommendations for combating the pest

The Dagestan office of the Rosselkhoznadzor reported the same day on its Telegram channel that it received appeals from residents of the villages in the Magaramkent district regarding the spread of the brown marble bug in their garden plots and homes.

"The insect is invasive to Russia, brought from East Asia, i.e., it has no natural enemies in our latitudes. However, the climatically warm regions of Russia are favorable for their habitation. With the onset of cold weather, the brown marble bug seeks to winter in warm areas, including residential premises, which is what the residents of the Magaramkent district faced," the message states.

The most effective is the use of a combination of methods: chemical preparations and traps.

The agency also published an explanation of the rules for combating the pest. "The most effective fight against this pest should be conducted from the spring period, at the early stage of the individual's maturation, when their natural shell is vulnerable to insecticides. The adult individual quickly adapts to chemical preparations and must be dealt with using conservative methods — trapping and destruction. In warm weather, the brown marble bug reproduces up to three generations: from May to June, from June to August, and from August to October. The most effective is the use of a combination of methods: chemical preparations and traps," the publication notes.

According to the federal law "On Plant Quarantine", "localization of the focus or elimination of the population of the quarantine object is carried out at the expense of" citizens, legal entities that own or possess quarantine objects, as well as owners of quarantine products, the agency indicated.

"In this regard, the fight against the brown marble bug in the Magaramkent district should be carried out by joint efforts of the district and rural settlement administrations, owners of garden plots, peasant farms, and other economic entities," the Rosselkhoznadzor reported.