My Hero!

kath · October 11, 2011

So I've been battling the brown marmortated stink bugs that cover our house and shed each day that the temps hit about 70 degrees by helping them jump into a plastic container of soapy water. By the time I make my way around the perimeter of one, catching all those I can reach, the other is loaded up again.

'Round and 'round I go until the container has so many bodies that the latest caught can climb the sides. Then I use container #2 and repeat until dusk.

I really don't know if this is a waste of time and energy or if it can have a significant impact on the number that overwinter in my attic and shed and live to lay the eggs that will produce the population that will attack my tomatoes next year- but it makes me crazy to see them and do nothing.

Some days I've coaxed thousands to join the "pool party", others only hundreds, but it seems more dependent on weather than on an actual reduction of their numbers on the property.

But today I realized that I'm not alone in the battle when I saw that the praying mantis that's been on the screen door of the greenhouse since yesterday had actually caught one and was enjoying a late lunch. I've seen a lot more of those, too, this year which is always a good thing but now even more appreciated.

Wish he had a bigger appetite!

tjg911 · October 11, 2011

or another thousand friends to join the party!

tom

semi_lucid · October 11, 2011

Kath

I've considered posting a thread about BMSB's, because I've been wondering how destructive they are.

I found one here in the Texas Panhandle this year, and saved it in a jar of alcohol.

How do they compare to squash bugs? Are they as bad? Do they attack everything?

John

kath · October 11, 2011

John, in my garden the damage is minimal but they are terribly annoying pests indoors from the time they begin seeking shelter from the cold in fall until they leave when it warms up in the spring. They bumble around flying into things, including my head, in the evening especially, and they crawl into drawers, draperies, boxes, bookshelves, bedding, etc. to hibernate...and they stink. In the garden, they make tiny holes in tomatoes but the blemishes aren't noticeable to me really. I find them on pepper plants now and on pole bean leaves but I can't see that they are damaging anything.

Squash bugs are much more destructive imo, but in the very worst squash bug year their numbers never even came close to the BMSBs. They look a bit like squash bugs, but they have a fatter middle and aren't quite as long. I also don't know of anything organic approved that will take care of them.

I hope others can give you more info about the damage they've experienced.

biscgolf · October 11, 2011

what kath said basically duplicates my experience with them... nowhere near as destructive as squash bugs (which are the walking spawn of lucifer)... the blemishes on the tomatoes do have an effect on their marketability though... for some reason i think they hurt romas more than anything else...

semi_lucid · October 12, 2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by kath

I hope others can give you more info about the damage they've experienced.

I would like to hear from people about their experiences, because what I've read online makes them sound like Squash Bugs that attack everything.

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/...stink-bug.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown_m...newshour2011-3

I didn't plant any squash in early summer, because I couldn't bear the thought of battling Squash Bugs again.

Squash Bugs can be a plague here. They live on cactus, and the attack on a squash garden is relentless.

But not this year. We had such a brutal drought that the birds stopped trying to breed in early summer. There were few insects, and I even seen Mocking Birds eating the big red ants that we have in the Southwest. I've never seen that before and I'm a bird watcher.

So I planted Squash the second week in August, and I've only seen three Squash Bugs. And my Squash are doing great.

kath · October 18, 2011

It was recently brought to my attention that the BMSBs have been the cause of the white spots on the walls of many tomato and pepper fruits in recent years. The problem has worsened yearly and seems to only affect certain varieties. Based on this conclusion, I want to amend my statement that the BMSB has caused minimal damage in my garden. Their damage has been very widespread with regard to tomatoes and peppers and next year I will be trying Pyola or similar products in hopes of battling these beasts in the garden.

The pics below show the damage to a pepper that was picked yesterday.

semi_lucid · October 18, 2011

Kath

I found _one_ of them here in Texas this year. I saved it in a jar of alcohol, but I'm afraid they will become less rare in years to come.

John

kath · October 18, 2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by semi_lucid

Kath

I found _one_ of them here in Texas this year. I saved it in a jar of alcohol, but I'm afraid they will become less rare in years to come.

John

I hope for your sake they hate Texas. Do you collect bugs?

semi_lucid · October 19, 2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by kath

Do you collect bugs?

No not really.I saved it to be sure of the identification, and to prove that I found one here.

matereater · October 19, 2011

Kath, that praying mantis looks like it could be a female, so if you're lucky she'll lay eggs and you'll have lots more help next year!!

kath · October 19, 2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by matereater

Kath, that praying mantis looks like it could be a female, so if you're lucky she'll lay eggs and you'll have lots more help next year!!

We've spotted a few egg cases around and have seen more than the usual number of adults around this year but at the rate they appear to catch and eat BMSBs the praying mantis population would have to be plague-like to take care of them, I think.

austinnhanasmom · October 19, 2011

For the past few years, I have annually purchased praying mantis cocoons on ebay. If you PM me, I'll look up the seller. She's on the east coast somewhere and collects the egg sacs in the wild.

These sacs could be placed outside for hatching or hatched in an enclosure for future release.

The pain of hatching inside is that they need to be fed and misted often, after hatching. It's easy for me to obtain fruit flies for feeding, but I forget to mist....

I googled which varieties would survive our winters and the most common, Chinese, usually does not survive here. European and Carolina varieties will. They can be i.d.ed by body markings and egg shape. The Carolina seems less hearty in Colorado, but the European does really well and I've found a few egg cases in my yard.

The males seem to fly away and then sometimes return, but the females stay closer - tending to my garden! I don't know what they eat here, since spiders are rampant, but they make my day!

BigBrownDogHouse · October 19, 2011

This thread is absolutely fascinating!
I wish I had a few of those...not sure my wife would agree though. Probably scare her to death whenever she'd walk through the garden.

kath · October 19, 2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigBrownDogHouse

This thread is absolutely fascinating!
I wish I had a few of those...not sure my wife would agree though. Probably scare her to death whenever she'd walk through the garden.

She also would probably hate the fact that they bite.

October 19, 2011	#11
matereater Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: S.E. Michigan (Livonia) Posts: 1,264	Kath, that praying mantis looks like it could be a female, so if you're lucky she'll lay eggs and you'll have lots more help next year!! __________________ Steve Cleverly disguised as a responsible adult

October 19, 2011	#14
BigBrownDogHouse Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Northern Illinois ZONE 5a...wait now 5b Posts: 906	This thread is absolutely fascinating! I wish I had a few of those...not sure my wife would agree though. Probably scare her to death whenever she'd walk through the garden. __________________ Brian

October 11, 2011	#2
tjg911 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: zone 5b northwest connecticut Posts: 2,570	or another thousand friends to join the party! tom __________________ I need a hero I’m holding out for a hero ‘til the end of the night He’s gotta be strong And he’s gotta be fast And he’s gotta be fresh from the fight I need a hero I’m holding out for a hero ‘til the morning light He’s gotta be sure And it’s gotta be soon And he’s gotta be larger than life

October 11, 2011	#3
semi_lucid Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Texas, zone 6b Posts: 100	Kath I've considered posting a thread about BMSB's, because I've been wondering how destructive they are. I found one here in the Texas Panhandle this year, and saved it in a jar of alcohol. How do they compare to squash bugs? Are they as bad? Do they attack everything? John

October 11, 2011	#4
kath Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: zone 6b, PA Posts: 5,664	John, in my garden the damage is minimal but they are terribly annoying pests indoors from the time they begin seeking shelter from the cold in fall until they leave when it warms up in the spring. They bumble around flying into things, including my head, in the evening especially, and they crawl into drawers, draperies, boxes, bookshelves, bedding, etc. to hibernate...and they stink. In the garden, they make tiny holes in tomatoes but the blemishes aren't noticeable to me really. I find them on pepper plants now and on pole bean leaves but I can't see that they are damaging anything. Squash bugs are much more destructive imo, but in the very worst squash bug year their numbers never even came close to the BMSBs. They look a bit like squash bugs, but they have a fatter middle and aren't quite as long. I also don't know of anything organic approved that will take care of them. I hope others can give you more info about the damage they've experienced.

October 11, 2011	#5
biscgolf Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Virginia Posts: 353	what kath said basically duplicates my experience with them... nowhere near as destructive as squash bugs (which are the walking spawn of lucifer)... the blemishes on the tomatoes do have an effect on their marketability though... for some reason i think they hurt romas more than anything else...

October 18, 2011	#8
semi_lucid Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Texas, zone 6b Posts: 100	Kath I found _one_ of them here in Texas this year. I saved it in a jar of alcohol, but I'm afraid they will become less rare in years to come. John

October 19, 2011	#13
austinnhanasmom Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Z5, CO near Denver Posts: 225	For the past few years, I have annually purchased praying mantis cocoons on ebay. If you PM me, I'll look up the seller. She's on the east coast somewhere and collects the egg sacs in the wild. These sacs could be placed outside for hatching or hatched in an enclosure for future release. The pain of hatching inside is that they need to be fed and misted often, after hatching. It's easy for me to obtain fruit flies for feeding, but I forget to mist.... I googled which varieties would survive our winters and the most common, Chinese, usually does not survive here. European and Carolina varieties will. They can be i.d.ed by body markings and egg shape. The Carolina seems less hearty in Colorado, but the European does really well and I've found a few egg cases in my yard. The males seem to fly away and then sometimes return, but the females stay closer - tending to my garden! I don't know what they eat here, since spiders are rampant, but they make my day!