Stinkbugs in your garden?

[applestar]

in another thread,

Around here, there's no need to even bother planting things like sweetcorn or peaches if you're not going to spray, otherwise you'll be getting a fresh mouthful of at least four types of problematic insects .....but hey, if you don't rinse, then you'll have some protein to go with your starch


You ever tasted stinkbug excrement? It may be all the rage out on the left coast, but I think I'll pass

Last year, my garden was overrun by the locally prevalent Brown Marmorated Stinkbugs. Looking back on last year's posts, I first saw a juvie and asked for ID on Jun 30... And their population exploded throughout the summer into frost. Two years ago, my garden was invaded by harlequin bugs.

This year, I've only seen a handful so far, but I did see a few squash bugs which are not usually present. I have also seen some kind of smaller brown shield-type bug.

I don't know if last year was a freak phenomenon or if I can expect them to return even if I haven't (knock on wood) seen many of either bugs so far. I don't know if there was some kind of stinkbug eradication program. I don't know if last year's vast numbers triggered some kind of natural control in my unsprayed chem free garden or if that's just wishful thinking.

I do know at least a couple of my regular catalogs carry "Stinkbug traps" and I see online instruction for DIY pop bottle and LED light Stinkbug trap.

I wondered how everyone else is doing with Stinkbug infestation in their garden this year

[soil]

we had an explosion or stink bugs for a year and a half, the second half of the second year we had an explosion of lizards. now there are enough of both to keep the populations in check.

[TWC015]

For me this year, no tomatoes = no stink bugs.

Last year I had lots of tomato plants and a lot of stink bugs. This year I only have two tomato plants and it has been so hot the past two months there haven't been many tomatoes, so I haven't seen many stink bugs.

[lafaloud]

Stinkbugs have destroyed most of my tomatoes and all of my peppers...I've been catching a bunch with the Rescue stink bug trap and am anxiously awaiting the LED attachment for when they start moving inside, each one I catch is one less bug available to multiply and destroy!

[DoubleDogFarm]

in another thread,
MaryDel wrote:
Around here, there's no need to even bother planting things like sweetcorn or peaches if you're not going to spray, otherwise you'll be getting a fresh mouthful of at least four types of problematic insects .....but hey, if you don't rinse, then you'll have some protein to go with your starch


You ever tasted stinkbug excrement? It may be all the rage out on the left coast, but I think I'll pass

Somehow, not quite sure, but I feel this is a Eric trap. I will just say, we on the Left Coast North don't seem to have a stinking problem.

Eric

[!potatoes!]

not the excrement, but stinkbugs themselves are (prehaps surprisingly) not bad tasting on their own (cooked, the 'stink' is altered but still present)...

I know it's not a popular position in our bug-phobic country, but I tend to react to edible insects reducing the food-production of my garden by using them to increase the amount of food coming out of my garden. turnabout is fair play.

yes, I do know that this is not a majority opinion.

[rainbowgardener]

so how do you cook them?

[Fig3825]

I got drunk and ate a bunch of cicadas when we had the 17 year explosion about 5 years ago here in NoVa. Butter and curry in a frying pan. They tasted like butter and curry.

The hard part was catching them as they came out of the ground and were still white (they hadn't hardened). However difficult in theory, it turned out to be quite simple - you just go outside after dark and they are EVERYWHERE during the 17 year cicada storm... I'm looking forward to doing it again in another 12 years...