I received a few questions about identifying garden bugs recently. With insects, like life, you’ve got to correctly identify the problem to find the best solution. Here’s a few of the most prevalent July garden pests and what I do about them:
Brown marmorated stink bug: This bug is marbled brown with six legs and a spade-shaped body. It feeds by piercing the fruit or veggie with its proboscis and sucking out the contents. More than a hundred plants act as a host for this invasive pest from Asia, so you’ll spot them on many crops. The stink bug leaves brown or white spots where it feeds and can cause produce to twist or grow irregularly.
If the population’s not too high, you’ll still have a chance to enjoy your bounty. Cut off the affected part of the veggie and enjoy. I start looking for and squishing eggs when I see the adults. Stink bugs lay eggs in a small clump on the underside of leaves. I pinch off these leaves and step on the eggs. Make sure you leave any yellow-orange eggs you find—those are ladybug eggs, often laid near the insects’ next meal, and can be found on the same plant.
Leaf-footed bugs: Related to the stink bugs, leaf-footed bugs are six-legged sap suckers who stink when you squish them. These insects have an elongated, dark brown body, often with a white stripe across its abdomen, like a little fashion belt. The insects’ back legs have a flare, an insect version of jodhpurs. I most often find groups of the red, six-legged nymph versions of these bugs, though the adults are common in high summer. The leaf-footed bugs leave damage similar to the brown marmorated stink bugs.
Leaf-footed bugs are native, and have several natural predators waiting to make them a tasty meal. Inviting critters like big-eyed bugs, damsel bugs and spiders into your garden can go a long way to keeping the population under control. Big-eyed bugs and damsel bugs both like low-growing perennials as a habitat, so planting lavender and thyme can help attract and keep them as garden guard dogs.
Caterpillars: You’ll likely notice big, irregular holes in plants’ leaves first. There’s a whole host of caterpillars coming for your crops, from the large, green hornworm that sports a sharp thorn on its end, to the side-striped, tiny, yet viciously hungry army worm. Caterpillars are often in the top third of a plant during the day, and so easier to spot then.
I plant umbel flowers like dill and fennel to attract parasitic wasps. Parasitic wasps lay their eggs on caterpillars like hornworms, and the larva eats it from the inside out. A few carefully placed bird feeders also can help control caterpillar populations. Army worms can come in droves, so insecticides might not be out of the question, but I think watching a flock of songbirds chow down on army worms is more satisfying.
Flea beetles: These insects leave small, circular holes in a plant’s leaves. These bugs look like small, black beetles, but they’re great at jumping, so you might never catch them in the act of munching on your plants. The flea beetles in my garden like tomatoes, and love brassicas like bok choy and radishes. These bugs do attack a wide variety of plants, so you could find them in many places.
The flea beetles in my garden make the eggplant leaves look a bit sad, but the plants still produce delicious fruit. The bok choy is another matter. Flea beetle adults hang out in weeds, as well as cut leaves and stems. I try to clean up any garden trimmings in a few days to remove desirable habitats. Flea beetle eggs are laid in the first half-inch of soil, so grazing a stirrup hoe along the ground can help disturb the eggs. At the surface, the eggs can lose moisture and remain unhatched or get eaten. Since the stirrup hoe also disturbs any small weeds attempting to gain a foothold in the garden bed, it’s a win-win.
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