Bad Bug! Bad, Bad Bug!

How did this get in my garden?!? Eeeekkkkk!! How do I get rid of them?

What the heck is it?

I'm not sure what type of bug it is. However to me it looks like it might be an assassin bug. If it is an assassin bug that I wouldn't consider it a bad bug but a beneficial bug. Assassin bugs help reduce the number of pests bugs by eating them.

Edit:

After doing a little searching I think it may be a leaf-footed bug that I would consider to be a pest.

They look so similar to me that I think I would have to see the feeding behavior to better determine what type of bug it is.

This message was edited Jun 28, 2010 11:11 PM

I'm pretty sure it's a leaf footed bug.

I think you're right looking at the 2nd picture. They really are minor pests but I would keep them out of the garden anyways, especially if there are a lot of them...

http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/orn/leaffooted_bug_3.htm

DH sprayed with a citrus spray last night, then it rained. I think these bugs hitched a ride in the new straw we're using for mulch. :(

From the Dirt Doctor...

Natural control: Birds, snakes, lizards. Good biodiversity. Parasitic flies such as the tachinid fly. Assassin bugs, birds, wolf spiders, and frogs.

Organic control: None usually needed. Citrus oil products will eliminate a heavy infestation.

Looks like you should be alright. They probably did overwinter in the straw.

I used his Bugs of Texas book to determine what kind of bug we had! Couldn't get out to check the garden today because of the rain and now it's dark. Will be keeping an eye out for them in the future, though. Those things are big and ugly!

I hate those things! They sucked my sunflowers dry, ate my rose bushes and make a mess of my tomatoes. They are Leaf Footed bugs & I haven't found a way to get rid of them permanently even though I live & let live with the wasps & good bugs.

They like pomegranates and cherry trees. I haven't seen them on anything else, but I also haven't seen them at all since spraying with citrus oil a la the Dirt Doctor.

telosphilos, where did you order your cherry trees from . I would like to get some.

behillman:

I ordered mine from BayLaurel Nursery online. The thing with cherry trees is that for the most part, they don't like heat. Where you are, I'm afraid you'll have far better luck with citrus than with cherries. All of the trees that I bought from BayLaurel have done extremely well. I chose the best rootstocks for my soil and have been just doing general upkeep ever since.

There are some low chill cherries out there, but low chill does not necessarily mean heat tolerant. Living where I do in North Texas, I'm widely believed to be quite insane for trying to grow sweet cherries. I won't say it is impossible, merely difficult and troublesome and may be more work than you want to do. I don't know how many chill hours you get, but the most popular/recommended low chill cherries are the so-called Royal pair: Minnie Royal and Royal Lee. You can find them here: http://www.baylaurelnursery.com/order/clicksite.cgi?cart_id=&xm=on&ftr=Cherries&p=Cherries Sour cherries handle heat better as a rule than sweet cherries so if you are looking forward to pies and jam, those might be a better choice.

I would also recommend hanging out a bit on the Dave Wilson Nursery forums and picking people's brains over there. They've been a nice help for me. http://www.davewilsonforums.com/index.php/index.php

Well, the citrus spray didn't work and now we have an infestation of those ugly things! We're going to try Neem oil tonight.

Good luck! I used Organicide and citrus oil and didn't have too much of a problem. There also happens to be a wasp nest in my yard and they may have something to do with the leaf footed bugs leaving.

Steph,
It's a Leaf-Footed Stinkbug. I have intimate personal knowledge of the bad, bad, bad, bad bug....

Carminator1 and I have been discussing on the "Pyrethrum for Stinkbugs" thread, how to eradicate them in the garden, 'cause they wreak havoc on the tomatoes.

I've been toying around with using a potpourri/sachet bag over the tomatoes next season to see if it will stop them from piercing the fruit. They can dance all over the plant, if they want to. But, as long as they can't pierce a tomato, they can't ruin a tomato!

Here's what I'm referring to.

This message was edited Jul 20, 2010 1:34 PM

This message was edited Jul 20, 2010 1:38 PM

I've found this thread interesting in the fact that compared to other pests the leaf-footed stinkers really haven't gone after most of the things I plant (including tomats). Maybe I'm wrong and what I've seen the last few years have been assassin bugs, however, I think what is more likely is that in both my old place and the new one we have a type of nightshade (the don't eat my berries kind!) that the leaf and this other sort of really interesting bug (orange/red body, little white spots w/ black legs about 1" fully grown) absolutely swarm over.

So long as I have one of those growing- and they get quite large 3' and bushy- these two type bugs stick to that plant or plants almost exculsively.

Hmmm...that's interesting! I like many of the nightshade plants, so I'll have to look into planting some for the spring. I just want these things GONE! They're creepy and scary looking!

We sprayed with Neem oil last night. We'll see what happens now.

Dude,
Can you post a pic of that plant?

Off topic: Have you ever eaten Boudain from Cochon Butcher on Tchoupitoulas Street? If so, how was it? They were featured on The Food Network's "The Best Thing I Ever Ate" segment Monday night. I'm thinking I might try them next time I come home.

Last time I was home, I had an oyster po'boy at Acme in Metairie that was TO DIE FOR!

Sorry, ya'll....

Steph- I don't think anyone sells these nightshades anywhere, it really is very much a weed, but not over-invasive so long as you know what to look for when it's still young and rip most of them up. I don't know the actual name of it - though I'm sure it's somewhere on the plant files. The leaves are like a ginko (popcorn tree) size and shape but darker green and with a few curves. Small white flowers (indiviual flowers 1/8th" white with yellow stamen-think miniture potato flowers) form in clusters then they produce clusters of green berries that ripen to a deep purple/black.

It's totally a weed, I saw one a year back that was a the max highth of about 3' growing out of a crack in some cement at a Rite-Aid.

Also since they destroyed that plant they seemed to have moved on. Haven't seen a leaf-footed stinker in probably a month now. They really aren't that creepy, I haven't smushed one, but I have picked one up, they don't bite or stink or anything as long as you are gentle with them. If you're really infested I would think killing by hand would be quite easy - since they don't seem to move fast.


Gymgirl- where to begin?

Sorry, I'm one of the last losers on earth that doesn't have a digital camera. Not a Ludite, but I generally don't need something like that in my life. When I was taking photos more often the last 15 years I used a 90s version Cannon and the the kick-ass FT-1 my dad used in Vietnam......it's almost 50 years old but other than some light-leaks still does a decent job (dad was there in the early years, he's almost 70 now).

But the world has moved on, right? I really should buy a digital camera at some point, been talking about it for three years now.

2. Sure I've eaten boudain and andoui and all the rest....but I'm not a N.O. native so I don't have that same sense of nostalgia that natives have for that sort of thing. I don't think I've even driven down Chops in........three months at least. In the Lakeview area now, but my love for this city is located in the Uptown/Riverbend area. I don't mean to poo-poo your opinion by any means and it's funny you mentioned the Acme Oyster House out on Vets. in Metairie, I had dinner there last Friday to get some local seafood to support our guys and gals that live along the coast and are currently being totally screwed.

I don't know if you know, but I've worked as a cook for almost half of my eight years in this city and I'm always flummuxed by how some people loved their sea-food and rituals....red-beans and rice on monday, catfish on friday....if I actually go out and am willing to spend 20 bucks on my meal I want a good cut of beef (ribeye or better) baked potato and nice mixed greens salad.

I also favor the sorta Greek/Middle Eastern and Japanesse (sushi themed) over tradional Italian food.
(you know about the irish/italian parades and all that right?)

Anyway, the char-broiled oysters at Acme were decent but not the best (solid B)(think Dragos - solid A). I had a stuffed crab that was a C+/B- but was told it was local.

At a LSUag research site they are working on this weird new crustaciatian (sp) that is something from the looks of it like a cross between a shrimp and crawdad. They start spawning in February and this is still at least three years out, but.........think about 'crawfish season' coinciding with football season. To be able to have a boil in November!

Time to sleep.
Peace.

Dude,
I hear yah! My last stop before heading back to Houston is Felix's behind the old Maison Blanche Building for an oyster poboy and then to Angelo Broccato's @ Carrolton and Canal for some vanilla canoli.

Oh, and I grew up eating red beans and rice on Mondays, and catfish on Fridays. It's a part of the local religion (smile).

I "KNOW what it means, to miss New Orleans..."

^^_^^^^_^^ (Me and Dude eatin' oysters from an "A+" bar!)

I think Spiderworts are in the nightshade family and that's what you're talking about.

Honestly, my favorite oysters are on the half shell (raw) with just a bit of lemon juice and tobasco. But baked in a Bienvillie or Ibervillie style is cool too, same for the char-broiled.

When it comes to fried I always thought this combo was best; and we did it at Jaquesmos on Oak street where I worked for a short bit: Fresh Baby spinich tossed with white and dark sesseme seeds in a combination of a light/virgin olive oil and a splash of worchesteshire. And one small to medium fried oyster on the side.


Talk about 'yum'.

Dang, making myself hungry....

Steph- Not spiderwort all all, I've lived places in Mobile and N.O. where I had spiderwort and clovers that I just let do their thing. SW flowers only have three main petals, this nightshade I'm talking about has six to eight, Most of the SWs I've had are a light purple in color but I know they can be white, pink, or even blue.

Did you know that spiderworts are some of the most indicitive plants to poiint out if there is radiation in the area? Think: If you see a light pink SW you probably shouldn't eat anything from around there.

Spelling and logic getting bad....bad bad bug...

G'nite.

I simply go out and hand pick them off my Chili's and toss in in a jar of warm soapy water. I then give all my Plant's a nice foliar bath with Neem then after a week I'll use some Insecticidal soap and give a nice coating to the plant's that were infected. Usually I'll also give a soil drench of mixed seaweed, compost tea, and Mycorrhizal mycelia to strengthen the plant's natural resistance and repair.

years ago a well seasoned farmer told my mother to get a bowl, throw in some flour, hand pick the bugs and toss em inand shake well. deep fry and serve w/ honey mustard. personally i found quite by accident several years ago that stinkbugs LOVE sunflowers. they cover the flowers and leave my veggies alone. as an added bonus once they set seeds the birds (especially wild parrotts) come in and help keep other pests down. evry few weeks plant a couple of seeds to keep flowers coming all season.