Harvester of sorrow
Full Member
Posts: 15
Joined: Fri Jan 11, 2013 12:43 am
Location: Hopkinsville,KY

Advice needed for stink bug infestation in the garden

I'd really like to hear what others have to say about controlling stink bugs in the veggie garden.
I had them last fall on my bell peppers,and now I have spotted the larvae on my leaf lettuce and some of my tomatoes as well. The lettuce is growing well,and any damage is hardly noticable,but the tomatos are not growing at all it seems. I heard about using insecticidal soap,but wanted to get others imput before attempting any kind of pest control. Thanks. :?

imafan26
Mod
Posts: 13991
Joined: Tue Jan 01, 2013 8:32 am
Location: Hawaii, zone 12a 587 ft elev.

According to UC Davis ipm site, insecticidal soap is acceptable, but they said it is better to clear the host plants and encourage beneficial insects.

I don't really have a stink bug problem. I have planted fennel, dill, marigolds, onions, nasturtiums, borage, and sunflowers throughout the garden and they do a good job of attracting may of the beneficial insects. I think that maybe some of the birds are probably also eating some of the insects when they are not busy eating the strawberries, figs, and tomatoes. The mongoose also eats all kinds of grubs diving into the mulch. I have found a few stink bugs, but I pick them off and put them in the bug ziploc bag I bring with me into the garden every time I go out to water or work in the garden. I did have a problem with the leaf leg beetles, at my other house, but we lived on a perimeter lot with a ravine behind us, so I had to put a bug net over the garden to protect the plants and it worked as long as I could keep them excluded.

https://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/r783300211.html



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