Will chickens help control STINK BUGS!!!!

[ChickiKat]

that homemade bug trap is pretty cool, I wonder if it would work in the garden...

 

[snooptwomey]

YES they will. WVDan, I live in Inwood, minutes away from you, and my 2 Red sex links have eaten EVERY one that comes near the coop.

 

[SkylaSilkie]

I asked my friend about it.All she said was I dont know. But now I know, but now my chicks stink like stink bugs.

 

[Kassaundra]

I asked my friend about it.All she said was I dont know. But now I know, but now my chicks stink like stink bugs.

Small price to pay!!!!!! Squash bugs and runner grass are my mortal garden enemies!

 

[lonnyandrinda]

I don't know about stink bugs, but mine won't touch the "squash bug" that eats my zucchini every year

Oh darn!!!!!!

From my garden experience the best way to reduce squash bug populations (and I'm assuming stink bugs as well) is to eliminate their winter cover- remove all tall grass, leaves, and other plant matter that they could hibernate in. This means you are out of luck for this year. But next year could be great!

 

[lonnyandrinda]

I just came on here wondering the same thing. Last year the stink bugs were insane (I counted no less than 100 on a single window one day). They are starting up now, but so far, they haven't swarmed. I assume that they will soon. I'm trying the homemade stink bug traps homemade stinkbug traps, but so far I haven't caught any stinkbugs in them. The numbers in the house are still pretty low) and it's been raining too much to try them outside.

Somehow I doubt my girls will eat stinkbugs... They don't eat earthworms and will only occasionally eat slugs. I've offered them ants, wood roaches, and other insects and they don't even look their way. Though one did eat a whole toad yesterday. After reading about the hallucinogenic toxin that Eastern American Toads hold in their glands, I couldn't help but wonder what kind of day Susie the Speckled Sussex had.

Natalie could you post that link again? I couldn't get it to work. Thanks!

 

[Kassaundra]

I have two active experiments going this year to see if the chickens will control the squash (stink) bugs. I have several squash planted out in the yard where the chickens have access to them while free ranging (not confined like in a run where they would destroy the plants) Even though I have been picking eggs and bugs off the ones in the garden for a couple of weeks I haven't found any on those squash yet, but it is still to early to tell if it will really work.

The other plan hasn't started yet. I am going to have very young chicks soon that I plan to brood outside and allow access to garden areas w/ large squash plants as part of their nursery run, I am going to see if they will eat the insects, but not hurt the plants being very small chicks.

 

[Kassaundra]

I can now say for certainty my chickens do eat squash (stink) bugs, I saw them w/ my very own eyes today.

 

[Cindy in PA]

Squash bugs & Stink Bugs are two different bugs. We have stink bugs almost year round now, thanks China!

 

[Kassaundra]

Oh, sorry the only thing I know as stink bugs are squash bugs.

I just googled the difference.