This is a pest I haven't seen in my garden before, but I think they are here to stay now.
The Mizuna was covered in them. I didn't see them anywhere else, but as I pulled all the old MIzuna they were running for their lives! I threw it all in a bucket and soaked them good with some Neem spray before tossing it all in the trash. I won't compost it since it's probably covered with eggs, too. Blech. After coming in to do some quick research, I'm not surprised about the greens since their preferred host are Mustard family greens. If you want to know more about them, check this out... I haven't read it yet since I'm running out the door, but I sure will tonight! There's way too many stink bugs in my garden this year, anyone else?
Hubby and I spent all morning in the yard, him mowing and doing the dog poop patrol and me in the garden. Lots of maintenance type stuff today. Tying up tomatoes, thinning the dill and pulling old parsley as it was all starting to shade my peppers and now that it's all bolting and flowering it was attracting the 4-lined plant bugs like mad. Fantastic weather today by comparison at least - it was 83 and low humidity today. Back into upper 90's for the next week so I had to make good use of the day. Put some more Happy Frog down around the tomatoes and this evening I will go spray them down again with fungicide. They plants themselves looked pretty good in spite of all the rain the past few days. Usually after those storms I notice the blight worsens, but not today. The fruit however was pretty haggard looking, had to pull quite a few misfits and some that were cracked and exploding from all the rain!
Today's motley looking harvest :)
The uglies are just part of the party when you grow heirlooms!
Unfortunately I had to stop gardening early today since we have to leave for the kids' music lessons, which means I need to get out early tomorrow before it heats up to deal with the squash beds. They need a little training up the fence and of course to peer into those vines and see if there's any trouble in there, I'm kinda scared!
And here I thought you meant Harlequin Books. Deceptive...nothing romantic there with those bugs.
ReplyDeleteWe aren't having stink bug issues, but the boxelders are having a banner year!
It's a jungle out there! You can't let your guard down for one instant - no wonder homegrown produce tastes so good; you have to work so hard to raise it! I'm missing a perfect day outside while I'm trapped inside this office.
ReplyDeleteAs Susan said, no rest for good gardeners! Geesh, you're being invaded by one thing after another. We've got another overcast day on the cool side here (68 degrees now at 3 p.m.) and threatening thunderstorms. Humid, too, but not too bothersome because it's not hot.
ReplyDeleteOh there are some lovely bugs out there. All kinds. I have decided to not look anymore. It's just depressing. Or maybe I should just start eating them. That might work.
ReplyDeleteErin, that's a fancy name for a pesky pest! Sucking the life out of their hosts, so they are a bit like aphids in their destructive abilities? Hmm, sounds no bueno to me. Now I'm scared, I gotta remember to check my mizuna patch when I get home this weekend!
ReplyDeleteThe bugs this year seem extra bad up here. I've got most of my beds covered. I splurged on a roll of Agribon---money WELL SPENT.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure hoping you can lick that problem with the tomatoes. I don't think Agribon can save ya from that though......
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I HAVE NEVER LOOKED AT EGGS OF BUGS BEFORE-THOSE WERE Awfully```````````````` CUTE.I WONDER WHATS THE FASTEST BUS DOWN THERE BEFORE YOU EAT ALL THOSE DELICIOUS TOMATOES-LO[ HA i WISH,i ONLY LEAVE THE HOUSE ABOUT 2X A MONTH!]
ReplyDeleteHoly cows do I have a headache! Just got back from music practice and the tourists are HERE. Took us 45 minutes to go 4 miles!
ReplyDeleteAPG, LOL Harlequin romances! I remember my grandma had some of those.
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Susan, a jungle is the perfect word for it, especially tomorrow - that humidity makes the bugs so loud and it's just steamy looking
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Jane, come on girlfriend, I'm waiting on a recipe! If anyone is going to make use of the bugs, it will be you turning it into something spectacular!
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Thyme, they are exactly like squash bugs, they are all members of the stink bug family, there's nothing good about them LOL
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Sue, I kind of wish the bugs were bigger, like a LOT bigger, then we could camp out back there with bb guns and get all camo'd up and wage war - turn it into a fun stay-cation!
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Judy, yeah those eggs are cute all right... LOL!
We're getting some of your jungle weather here- finally. It hit 90 today and mid 90's tomorrow with high humidity.
ReplyDeleteI haven't seen those before but we've been having terrible trouble with Four-lined plant bugs sucking the life out of everything. Grr.
Judy
There was a time in my life when I would have said 'Eeeweww' to those tomatoes; my how things have changed! Good luck eradicating the bugs.
ReplyDeleteLOL....I think the uglier a tomato is, the tastier it is.
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