Best method to kill stink bugs?

[My Foot Smells]

Spaghetti squash was doing fine and then the stink moved in and one batch is wilting and pretty much done. For some reason have another plant separate from the main patch (planted later in season) which is still healthy.

I didn't realize the scope of the infestation, but maybe 100 stinkers all on the squash. They don't mess with the cukes or other stuff - just the squash.

Guess I can do some trial runs and kill these suckers. Also, I figure it is best just to yank plants at this point, or is there salvation?

[b54red]

I had a weird situation last year because I had none of the predator bugs that usually abound in my garden so I had a really serious problem with aphids on my bell peppers and also on some of my tomatoes. Usually I have a lot of Assassin Bugs, Lace Wings and Ladybugs to keep pests under control but they just never showed up last year and to make things worse I had an invasion of stink bugs. I finally gave up on the good bugs making an appearance and sprayed everything with very soapy water and Permethin and had to repeat the treatment several times to get the aphids under control. The result was a lot of dead stinkbugs. After a couple of treatments I didn't see another stinkbug for a long, long time. So I guess if they are giving you that much trouble you might want to try it but it will wipe out most good bugs also. This year my good bugs returned so I haven't had to use any pesticides and I have only seen a few stinkbugs.

Bill

[My Foot Smells]

that's a good point b54red. not really wanting to "nuke" the garden and cut off my nose to spite my face in this situation (re: broad spectrum insecticide); just wanting to eradicate the stink bug.

I don't know why they are drawn to only the squash (maybe a stinkbug look-a-like?), but they don't mess with any other cultivator in the garden. It gives appearance that they have sucked the plants dry, as a slow wilt has progressed.

I'm fine with:

1) ripping up the affected squash plants and burning pdq to kill laid eggs.
2) treating the healthy one plant with something? to keep the stink off.
3) waiting until fall to treat soil with some sort of treatment - but:
a) not quite sure of life cycle and if they even burrow in soil or what?

Considering they aren't affecting the mato's, peppers, cukes, etc...., I'm not interested into going guerilla warfare and wiping out the entire insect ecosystem in the garden.

Also, I have a box of bees to consider that frequent the area and do not want to do anything harmful to the many pollinators in the garden.

In short, was wondering if there was a stinkbug specific remedy or non-toxic measuresfor control.

Thanks for the informative reply.

[Dewayne mater]

Depending on your number of plants, you can always go with hand control. Knock all you see into a bucket of soapy water. Examine under every leave to find where the eggs were laid. Remove. Look for the appearance of nymphs and get after them. In a small garden, this can be done effectively if you are vigilant, unless you have some nearby source that is beyond your control and constantly replenishing the SBs.

[clkeiper]

[QUOTE=My Foot Smells;




3) waiting until fall to treat soil with some sort of treatment - but:
a) not quite sure of life cycle and if they even burrow in soil or what?



Thanks for the informative reply.[/QUOTE]

Treat the soil in the Fall with nematodes. They are supposed to attack hundreds of pests in the soil, which is where the stinkbugs are going to go to pupate into the next cycle. I won't guarantee that it will control or work, but they are cheap enough to give it a try. I put some in in the Spring when I planted my zucchini (you don't want to till after you put them in, they need to colonize, which is why Fall works best) and I haven't (knock on wood and thank the good Lord above) had any plants wilt down, yet.

[Gardeneer]

I would use a small Dust Buster and vacuum them. Easier than hand picking. This way they won't have a chance to scape. BUST THEM !

Gardeneer

[Cole_Robbie]

I bought this product for my whiteflies: http://www.evergreengrowers.com/met5...w-formula.html

It worked very well. I noticed it also killed potato bugs. I need to test it on stink bugs.

[Tracydr]

I have a great duster that I use with DE. I also spray Soinosad on occasion. I hand pick ever time I see one.
Sounds like you may have squash bugs which are very similar.

[SharonRossy]

Last year I found stink bugs and had to remove them by hand in some solution of horticultural oil and insecticidal soap. This year I got lucky and found eggs underneath some leaves. So I removed and destroyed the leaves and sprayed with End All and alternating with insecticidal soap and horticultural oil. So far so good. They are so disgusting!

[My Foot Smells]

How can you tell the difference between stink and squash? Will try to get picture when time permits and post here.

[AlittleSalt]

I was thinking of that Monty Python Foot squashing stink bugs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49c-_YOkmMU

[SharonRossy]

MFS, are you referring to the difference between stink and squash? Stink bugs lay symmetrical eggs in neat little rows. That's all I know.

[My Foot Smells]

Originally Posted by SharonRossy

MFS, are you referring to the difference between stink and squash? Stink bugs lay symmetrical eggs in neat little rows. That's all I know.

I think after some online research, it was indeed squash bugs. I said I would post a pic, but the buggers have packed it up and gone. Checked underside of leaves for eggs - nada. Didn't want to leave anyone hanging in suspense, so following up, LOL.

I will yank and throw on fire pit as they are sucked up pretty good like Dracula got ahold of them, and still have two others (planted later) that somehow avoided the infestation (planted in different part of garden and dropped in after snow pea finale').

By the time I noticed the bugs it seemed to be too late and the damage was done. Did treat the other plants for prevention.

Bracing myself for a hot stretch. The southern bubble has shifted into place and the 10 day forecast looks brutal. Still got a few hundy tomatoes on the vine though and getting some pretty good pulls. With all the rain this year, have only had to water 3-4x; looks like that will be changing heading into august.

[TressJ]

If they are squash bugs I sprayed neem oil each day and as they scurried away I put them in a jar of clorox water until they were gone and also picked the eggs from the back of the leaves. So far so good they haven't been back and it has been a couple weeks. Here is a link with info and pictures http://www.extension.umn.edu/garden/...d/squash-bugs/