Leaf-footed Bugs (aka Stink bugs)
June 29, 2009
This week in our garden …
… they’re heeeerre! I found a few leaf-footed bug nymphs on our tomatoes. Sometimes these are called stink bugs, but they are slightly different though they do the same damage. You can actually see the proboscis on the nymph in the top picture. They use their proboscis to pierce our ripe fruits and suck out the juices. The best organic control for these is hand-picking, but they’re fast little buggers! I squished these guys after I took their picture.
Hey there, Amy! Long time no see! I also battled leaf-footed bugs this summer and noticed that they don’t seem to be able to fly upward from a resting position, but rather must drop to catch the air, like a bat does. This made it *fairly* easy to put a dish of soapy water under them and bop them in. Sometimes they even flew right into the suds in their clamor to escape my hand. This worked well for me because it was so hot this summer that I couldn’t bear to wear garden gloves most days and don’t like the “squishing” very much.
I think what you’re doing is great!!! Best of luck to you!