Not sure what kind of bug it is?

[b54red]

I have noticed a few new bugs this year that look somewhat like Assassin bugs and they may very well be since there are so many of those type bugs. They are about 3/4 to 1 inch long, light brown, and on or around my cucumbers and squash. They look similar to leaf footed bugs but smoother and without the leaf foot. They are six legged and fairly slender like a leaf footed bug. I know it would be best if I could post a picture but I don't have one. I'll try to find one and get a good picture if I can.

I haven't noticed any insect damage to my squash or cucumbers but it may be to early to see if they are damaging them. I have seen a couple of spotted cucumber beetles and am hoping they are some type of Assassin bug that feeds on them. I have very few predator bugs in the garden this season for some reason but then again I don't have a lot of pests so far either so that may explain that.

I also ran across a new worm or larvae of something that was feeding on my bean leaves. I have never seen this one before and there is no way I could get a good photo of them. At first I thought they were just some kind of debris on the underside of some chewed leaves but upon closer examination they were alive. The largest ones I have seen are about 1/2 inch long with a slight reddish brown and clear color to them. They look like some kind of larvae. I have seen small ones about 1/4 inch long and they chew the bottom layer of the leaf until it shows and I look under the leaf. I used Dipel and it didn't bother them at all and I am not going to use Sevin as my beans just started making. Just wondered if anyone else had ever run across this pest or if anyone knew what it was? So far I have only seen them on about a dozen leaves and just crushed them with my fingers.

Bill

[brownrexx]

Do you have squash bugs in your area?

[b54red]

Originally Posted by brownrexx

Do you have squash bugs in your area?

Thank you. I looked up images of squash bugs on the internet and found them to be exactly the bugs I saw. I know at least two of them mated because I saw them so now I have to also look for the eggs. I will keep my bottle of Permethrin and soap and spot spray them when I see them and see if I can get rid of them early. I assume it will kill them as it does a great job on stink bugs. Thanks again I just had no idea what to look up to find this bug.

Bill

[brownrexx]

Get rid of them quick if you can. They reproduce quickly and will overwhelm the plants. I did not have much luck getting rid of them when they got my butternut squash the other year but there were already hundreds of them when I discovered them. Look closely at the base of the plants.

The eggs really stick to the leaves and can't be easily squished so rip off the portion of the leaf with the eggs and get rid of it. They will also hide under boards on the ground and you can lift the board and kill them.

They can get out of hand very quickly. I garden organically and I don't use some of the chemical sprays available but I have heard that they are resistant to a lot of things. Good luck.

[b54red]

I killed one this morning and checked under the leaves for eggs but didn’t see any. I know there are more and I hope I can find and dispose of them before they multiply too much. Thanks for the heads up on them. I don’t believe I have ever had a problem with them in the past and I don’t want to start now.

Bill

[brownrexx]

Be sure to look on the ground around the plants too. The small ones can be easy to overlook since they are the same color as soil. Just watch for movement.

[b54red]

Killed two more this evening just before dark. I will keep looking every day.

Bill

[brownrexx]

Put a small piece of wood or cardboard on the ground and see if you find anything hiding under it the next day