Beneficial or Not?
As the summer heat sets in so do pests in the garden. Some pests are signs of issues in our soil or our plant telling us that it is in need of something. I often find that people are ready to annihilate any and all pests they see in the garden. But is if beneficial or not?!
LEAF FOOTED STINK BUG NYMPH
Lets take a look at the most hated pest in the Southeast Texas garden, the Leaf Footed Stink Bug! These small nuisance pests often do the most damage when they are in the nymph stage of life. At this life stage they are orange with black legs and often are in small groups in the garden. They can be identified by the three-segmented back legs. They puncture or “sting” the fruit of tomatoes causing them to “cat face.” The puncture can lead to other pathogens as well as rotting of the fruit. Nymphs can also be a nuisance to crops of peas too.
ASSASSIN BUG
But is it really a Stink bug nymph? Assassin bugs are often mistaken for the orange nymphs. Assassin bugs are highly beneficial though, as they feed on other small insects such as aphids. Both bugs highly resemble each other, but the Assassin bug travels alone and is not typically found in groups. They also be can be differentiated by their back legs. They Assassin bug has a two-segmented back leg unlike the stink bug which has three.
This this brings us to the point, it is important to properly identify or observe the activities of pests in the garden. They very well might be an important part of the gardening eco-system in many ways.
They may prey on other insects (assassin bugs kill aphids, wasps kill worms, etc)
They may be an important food source for other local animals or predators (birds, frogs, etc)
So What Can You do about them?
It is important to remember as well that the pesticides we may choose to use don’t only effect the unwanted pests, but also the beneficial ones too. The Pre-Harvest Intervals that are required on a lot of pesticides may also cause us to loose produce to other predators while waiting to safely pick them (ex: We spray Cyonara on tomatoes for stink bugs. While we wait the 3 day Harvest Interval time, the tomato begins ripening and the birds damage them or worms attack them).
Make it stand out
Pictured here is an adult Leaf Footed Stinkbug. They are just as destructive in their adult phase as the nymph and still can usually be found in small groups. They are usually a very dark brown to black color.
The most effective control for stink bugs is picking them off and placing them in soapy water. They are multi-generational and come in waves throughout the warm season. We’ve even seen the use of a dust buster to suck them up and then dump them in soapy water. The more you are able to remove from the environment, the less coverage you will have the next season because the population has been controlled.
If you aren’t sure what to do stop by and pay us a visit or use our handy Bug Finder here!
