STINK BUGS!!!

Ok. I'll spray again. It's raining out right now...again...PRAISE GOD!!!!!

yay for rain!!!

Send some of that rain our way. It's awfully crispy here.

Pics.

Those aren't stink bugs unless they're nymphs. Stink bugs are shield shaped.

I know. They look like miniature flies with spots on their backs. They have wings and fly.

i can't quite tell from the pictures...could be psyllids or leafhoppers. can you post these pictures on the bug id forum?

I need to mix up a sprayer full for whiteflies on my cucumbers, would it take about 1/4 cup to a gallon? My sprayer is a 4 gallon backpack sprayer. (600 row feet of cukes)
It is trying to rain here.

Trackinsand,
I think you're on the right track with it being some sort of psyllid! Looks like little flies. So, what's my poison?

well, you have choices. you can keep spraying with the bronner's and hit as many as you can, undersides of plants especially. put your sprayer nozzle on a more misty setting instead of a stream. it will cover more.
if it's not raining or expected to rain for a few days, you can use garden grade diatomaceous earth. it's like a fine dusty stuff that will cut up any soft bodied pest. sulfur dusted on plants also works well.
personally, i would just keep misting with the bronners. you're not going to kill them all but it will make a huge dent in the population. clean up any dead or dying plants when the time comes because any pest loves to hide in there.

Think Bronner's works on japanese beetles?

Podster, these are under shade cloth only and the holes in that are big enough for whitefly to get thru.

I asked as I'm dealing with whitefly problems here too. I was hoping cover might be the solution.... oh well! Off to do more research. Kristi

Kristi, the remay does keep them off. I just used shade cloth because it is easier to fasten to the frames and some of these cucumbers are Pony and Green Finger, not parthenocarpic like Little Leaf.
I read not to use pyrethrum or pyrethroid sprays on mites or whiteflies because they don't work, and may actually make matters worse because they kill the beneficials.

I've been using an insecticide soap spray, morning & evening. Fortunately, I don't have the volume of plants that you do. I may look into remay for next year as this is the second year I've dealt with them. I can keep them under control till we go on vacation.

Reading in an organic gardening book yesterday that plants in need of magnesium are more susceptible to whiteflies. As a result, I did a foliar spray with epsom salts. Hoping to reverse the headache. Thanks for clarifying the remay.

Although one can kill spider mites with other remedies, one should use a miticide to kill mites. Pesticides will not kill other mites.

For all my garden insect pests, I use a mixture of 3 Tbs Dr. Bonners, mint or lavender, 1TBs desolved down Octagon Soap, with 1c tobacco juice (2Tbs or big pinch of chewing tobacco in 1 pt water, simmered) for 1 gal water. What bugs I miss with the soap, the tobacco juice gives a terminal case of dysentery.

Dysentery ~ LOL Jinxi. I have read that tobacco juice (nicotine) is also a good additive that is organic but I have an odd question about using it.

Many times smokers are warned about being around plants like tomatoes (and other nightshades) due to transmitting the tobacco mosaic virus. Why wouldn't a tobacco addditive not create the same issue? I have been hesitant to use it with the Safer soap or the Epsom spray. Does anyone have any experience with this?

it's something i've always read (the nicotine/tomato thing).

here is a quote from one of my older garden books:

"extracted from tobacco plants, nicotine is so poisonous that it's not available to home gardeners in its pure form. suppliers sell only nicotine sulfate, a formulation that's slightly less toxic but still potentially fatal if inhaled, ingested or absorbed through the skin. it's also deadly to many beneficials. because less toxic alternatives are available, nicotine use has been sharply curtailed. it is now restricted (limited to professional applications or to use on particular pests or plants) in many states."

i realize that mixing up a liquid from old butts might not be as toxic as what is stated here, but yuck. i wouldn't use it on my plants.

No, I wouldn't either. I had heard about the importance of keeping tobacco products away from other solanaceae, but aside from that the stuff is really toxic.

Trackinsand ~ I am glad I'm not the only one that saves and refers to my old gardening books .

Organic Plant Protection says you could soak a handful of tobacco or tobacco wastes in water... Let steep for 24 hours, then dilute to weak tea strength.

It also suggests adding a bit of soap but warns to rinse plants with clear water or the foliage could burn.

And it warns of turning roses black and killing beneficial bugs as well. All I've read so far is discouraging me. Almost as discouraging as the whiteflies... Kristi

kristi, there are certain books that i just can't part with...even with so much info online.
this particular book, Sunset Garden Pests & Diseases, is an old standby of mine. trying to stay organic and mindful of the earth can be very frustrating sometimes and whitefly is a particularly loathsome pest.

Honeybee, I know to use a miticide on mites, I was just stating what I read which was that certain insecticides can worsen the problem.

I started using the pinch of chewing tobacco after I read about it in Jerry Baker's Vegetable Gardening book and after seeing it again in Mother Earth News about 20 years ago, but I am going to do more research before using it again.

I was told that DE would work for the stink bugs. Dusted about 3 weeks ago and just noticed some back in the garden yesterday. Happened to be walking around the perimeter fence this morning with the BB gun (don't ask), found a bunch adults on the cantaloupe again. Rifle-butted a pair mating... Yep, they did stink!!!

LOLOLOLOL!!!!! I'm still flicking my BIC fireplace lighter. Got a whole herd of nymphs AND lovers yesterday!

I saw one lone stink bug on the under side of my sunflower leaf. I was afraid to torch him for fear of setting the plant on fire! When I went back to get him, he was gone.

Torched another one today. The best time to catch them seems to be at dusk, and the instant-on propane torch is definitely a winner. It produces a flame hot enough to melt solder, ignites faster than you can blink, and if you just press-and-release the trigger it is off again before it has time to even damage the leaves. So far I've only missed once, when I accidentally tapped a branch trying to get close.

You don't have to be right on top of them - the flame is effective 3-4 inches away from the nozzle, and like I said it is instantaneous - the bugs never have a chance.

I almost wish I didn't enjoy it so much, but after all the tomatoes I've lost in years past...well, it's just hard to feel guilty.

-Rich

LOLOLOLOL!!!!!

Well the soap didn't kill our stink bugs and it didn't even make a dent in the whitefly population. I drove 30 miles to the nearest store that has Dr Bronners, mixed up some and sprayed the leaf footed bugs, cucumber beetles and whiteflies. The stink bugs did fall over, for about 5 seconds, then they were up again. Cucumber beetles didn't even fall over!
I have coloidiall plant wash (a protein soap) that calls for one ounce per gallon so I mixed the Bronners at that ratio. I then moved up to 2 ounces per gallon and still no results except a few whiteflies were stuck to the leaves by the soap and the stink bugs laughed and said "give me more!"
I think I'm going to try Gymgirl's flamer and fry them!

that is so strange. they die instantly when i spray them......

This link has some good info on soaps:
http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/insect/05547.html/

It doesn't seem optimistic about soap working on hard shelled bugs like stink bugs, even so the link admits they don't really know why soap works.

the way i understand it, the oily soap desiccates their bodies. i sprayed one this morning and he just fell over dead.

Maybe we're not aiming at the same bugs....

My BIC does NOT fail. Even if I just singe a few legs and wings, they won't be flying back up to my tomatoes again. The ground predators are really happy!

Calalily,
The Lavender Dr. Bronner's smells wonderful! If it continues to fail against the garden buggies, it will become a heavenly scented hand soap in my dispensers!

Hugs!

i don't know. it's worked on absolutely every bug i've ever sprayed...even the huge spitting two-striped walking sticks we have here.

Trackinsand,

LOL!

We've got TEXAS bugs, here. The don't respond to anything smaller than a cannon, or less poisonous than arsenic!

cannons and arsenic and bics, oh my!

"CANNONS, AND ARSENIC, AND BICS!" "OH, MY!"

"Follow the yellow brick road" lined with dead buggies!