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ralph31558

stink bugs

ralph31558
14 years ago

I know that i am not alone with this, but has anyone found a way to control these bugs, they are making a mess of my tomatoes. They leave white spots all over them, and they look terrible. can anyone help.

Comments (14)

  • digdirt2
    14 years ago

    From the Pest FAQ:

    Stink bugs - there are several species. Adults: Brown, green, or black; with or without markings; shield shaped; up to 5/8 inch long and 1/3 inch wide. Nymphs: Resemble adults but are smaller. Stink bugs discharge a foul odor.
    Adults and nymphs suck sap from the plants and from the fruit. Plants are weakened; buds and young fruits are malformed. Yellow-white spots appear under the skin of the ripe fruit (Cloudy Spot). Control of weeds in the area of the garden helps to prevent some species of stinkbugs. Organic/Biological Control is to dust with sabadilla.
    Chemical Control: Sevin 5% dust (Do not apply within 5 days of harvest.)

    They are resistant to many pesticides but we have pretty good luck using kaolin clay dusted on the plants - prevents them from laying eggs and sucking. Then there is the old dust buster trick - after a rain or an overhead watering they move to the top of the plants and you can just suck (or pick) them off easily.

    Daily egg patrol is also helpful. Link below shows picture of the eggs so you know what to look for.

    Good luck.

    Dave

    Here is a link that might be useful: Pic of stink bug eggs

  • bigdaddyj
    14 years ago

    Here's what has helped me. I stopped growing cucumbers and summer squash. That's all it took. They are no longer attracted to my garden. When I had them I laid shingles down in the garden before a heavy rain was predicted. In the morning they were ripe for the killing. Some have used millet as a trap crop and report success.

  • gringojay
    14 years ago

    me no like
    stink bug bite

  • tallytowngardener
    14 years ago

    I'm so excited!!! I have the same problem and I finally found the answer this morning. I was trying to catch and squish them with gloved hands, but I'm not fast enough.

    So, I got some of those cheap fly traps - they're spirals of sticky paper rolled up in a container. There's a tack on the top, and they're made to be pulled out and hung from the tack. So, pull the spiral partially out (it'll look like a toy light saber), discard the tack, and use the sticky 'wand' to pick up the stink bugs. You can easily get them fast enough, and can pick three or four of the little buggers up before you have to dispose of them. I used needle nose pliers to pull them off the sticky tape into a jar of soapy water.

    I got over 20 stink bugs off my tomato plants in just a few minutes, plus a few little caterpillers, I didn't have to touch any bugs, and it was fun! Plus, you can push the skicky sprial back into the container and re-use. Hope this helps you.

    MaryPat

  • eloquinn
    14 years ago

    I hate stink bugs with a passion. This year I'm keeping a jar of soapy water in my garden and every time I see a stink bug I flick it into the jar..

    I like the sticky wand idea. I bet you could wrap some duct tape around a short piece of 1/2" PVC and get a similar effect. I'd be worried about ripping off leaves, though.

  • garden_fool
    14 years ago

    I planted some of the giant sunflowers and the stink bugs will go to them instead of the tomatoes. Take a spray bottle with soap and water and spray the bugs on the sunflower. I saw this in a garden last year is where I got the idea and some of the sunflowers would have hundreds of stink bugs on them.

  • corin99
    14 years ago

    I've been hunting them for the last couple of weeks, just knocking them into a container of soapy water. I find it helps tremendously to wear my drug store reading glasses. Though the bugs are even nastier looking when magnified.

    Yesterday I became concerned that I was killing soldier bugs, a type of stink bug that is beneficial because it eats other bugs, not tomatoes. So I collected a few specimens and started researching. After several hours I gave up. None of my captures looked quite like the pictures and then I learned that there are over 221 species in North America. So it looks like the soldier bugs will have to pay for the crimes of their relatives.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Stink Bugs

  • catman529
    14 years ago

    ...after a rain or an overhead watering they move to the top of the plants and you can just suck (or pick) them off easily.

    That would work for me, except for the fact that many of my plants are over 6 feet tall now and I would need a ladder. My tomatoes are growing somewhat like kudzu.

    I find stink bugs around green fruit, and when the fruit ripen, they have cloudy spot to some extent. I hate stink bugs too. But those darned flea beetles have really been a pain this year as well.

    I guess I can't complain too much...other than those two pests, my tomatoes are doing great.

  • PChristy
    10 years ago

    I've dumped them in soapy water, vacuumed them off, tried to crush them and shot at them with a bb gun. I used to have a toy that looked like a racquetball racquet for zapping mosquitoes -- I need to get another one for electrocuting stink bugs as they try to fly away!

  • sharonrossy
    10 years ago

    I think I found a few on my eggplants next to my tomatoes. I sprayed, picked them off and am keeping a very close eye!
    Yuk!

  • mikehamilton
    10 years ago

    What does summer pruning of peach trees benefit the tree?

  • mikehamilton
    10 years ago

    What does summer pruning of peach trees benefit the tree?

  • mikehamilton
    10 years ago

    What does summer pruning of peach trees benefit the tree?

  • mikehamilton
    10 years ago

    What does summer pruning of peach trees benefit the tree?