Stink bugs !!!

[PaulScott]

Many who garden / farm know that there is a new Stink bug , that has come from China on boats to the US and had been exploding in population as it moved its way down south from PA they was first found in PA in 1996.
The brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) was first reported in North Carolina in 2009. Since then, we’ve seen a steady increase in their population. myself last year these bugs was responsible for a almost total lose of tomatoes and sweet corn . sevens dust , soap and water , soap water and vinegar had NO affect in stopping or even slowing down these bugs .

Has anyone else had a run in with these bugs , and has anyone has any success in killing them off ? or at least keeping them away from your plants ????

Please lets hear what you have tried , what has worked and what has not

 

[Wisher1000]

I just posted the same question over in BYC's sister site, The Easy Garden. I don't have any answers, but would love to know. They have taken over my back garden wall.

 

[Mtn Laurel]

Chickens love 'em! I try to give them to the girls when I can.

I've had mild attacks of the bugs but nothing like what some of my neighbors have had. They seem to be attracted to light colors, one neighbor's white aluminum siding was covered in the blasted things. We knock them off plants into a coffee can of water with just a drop of dish detergent in it and - in the house - suck them up with a shop vac.

How to prevent them or deal with huge quantities? I don't have a clue. Have wondered if you could trap them with a white sheet over plants to attract them and then suck them off the sheet with the vac but haven't tried that.

 

[PaulScott]

Chickens love 'em! I try to give them to the girls when I can.

I've had mild attacks of the bugs but nothing like what some of my neighbors have had. They seem to be attracted to light colors, one neighbor's white aluminum siding was covered in the blasted things. We knock them off plants into a coffee can of water with just a drop of dish detergent in it and - in the house - suck them up with a shop vac.

How to prevent them or deal with huge quantities? I don't have a clue. Have wondered if you could trap them with a white sheet over plants to attract them and then suck them off the sheet with the vac but haven't tried that.

don't there horable smell affect the eggs ?

 

[RollinWithTheStones]

Oh my goodness! We planted pumpkins in 2012 and the things destroyed all but one small pumpkin, though they did put holes in it. They were every where.

 

[Mtn Laurel]

don't there horable smell affect the eggs ?

I never noticed that it did but they were eating plenty of stuff along with the bugs. Wasn't as though the bugs were the majority of what they were getting. Don't know if it would impact the eggs if they were getting a large and steady diet of the little critters.

 

[Wisher1000]

Quote: I was wondering the same thing......

 

[PaulScott]

Through my research and also contacting the local Cooperative Extension seams no readily available pesticides work on them .
How ever ive found a few not options that might not be choice but may help at least a little
here is a video of a DIY trap

Also reading that the Green Chinese Mantis ( praying mantis) Will in fact eat these bugs and there eggs
So if i can find a place that sells the mantis for garden use in a larger number and combine that with the traps who knows, will just have to see

 

[Peggy-Sue]

Here in Pittsburgh they are sooooooooo bad... In fact i killed 4 today! During the summer they are terrible in the garden... They destroy all my peppers and tomatoes putting little white marks on them.... I HATE them

 

[LavanderSplash]

When we moved into our new home hear in Oregon they had infested the windows! They were behind the screen and on the window its self and enough of them to be swept off with a broom. I am using a Ortho bug be gone spray and it seems to have some effect on them. I went around the entire house but the rain here makes it hard to go out and do. Theres also stuff to put in the lawn as well.