Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Grrrr.....Stink bugs....
I knew there were stink bugs in Maryland but I had not seen very many (just 1) in the city...well, until yesterday that is. I found not 1, but about 3-4 stink bugs on my jalapeno. I have to say I'm happy they are not doing any noticeable damage on the vegetables (knock on wood, knock on wood, knock on wood!) but I've been reading about the damage they cause on gardens/farms. University of Maryland extension website has a lot of information about all the research going on to fight these buggers. For now, it seems like there is not much we can do. I want to remove them manually...but I can't seems to bring myself to grab them to drop them into soapy water. I know there is no reason for me to be afraid of them, but I just can't do it. I got a portable vacuum cleaner but the suction was not strong enough...so for now I'm just hosing them down knowing full well that they will just climb back up the plant. I'm gonna think about a way to catch them without actually touching/getting close to them. Grr...
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Might I suggest using a squirt bottle with some dishsoap in it? It will blast them from the leaf/veggie and also coat them in the soap water. Then you can step on them! muahahaha! And achieve that satisfying squish.
ReplyDeleteBen, the soap water sounds good. I have a problem with squishing bugs...but I found out that I am OK with squishing eggs. I'm not sure what the difference is. But I will try the squirt bottle. I was thinking of using a stick with tape at the end and throwing them into a bag. I'll try both.
ReplyDeleteEwww...stinky pests. Try getting a cup with soapy water and knocking them into the cup so they drown. Bwhahaha!
ReplyDeleteDo you have kids? Kids love catching all kinds of bugs!
ReplyDeleteHolly - I actually tried that but I kept missing and then they would fly towards me and totally freaked me out!
ReplyDeleteRandomGardener - I don't, maybe I can employ some of the kids in the neighborhood.