"Dan Espen" wrote in message
...
Frank writes:
Haven't the stink bugs made it to your area yet?
If not, you're in for a real treat.

We have them here in central NJ.

I don't mind them at all, but my only contact with them
is that I find 3 or 4 a year inside the house,
especially in the winter.

I pick them up and put them outside but don't crush them.

I've read that the problem is that you can see a LOT of them.
I haven't experienced that.

--


I get an occasional black beetle in my basement, they seem to be just
passing through and generally don't seem to be a bother. Haven't seen
any lately, but crickets come down here too. They are kind of funny
hopping around unpredictably. I'm not sure why the come down here, not
much to see or eat. No food in the basement.

The worse bug problem to have is bedbugs. I would not wish those on my
worse enemy. What a f***ing nightmare.

Derald wrote:
Frank wrote:

I see they first showed up in Allentown, Pa in 1998:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown_marmorated_stink_bug

I quit growing peppers a couple of years ago as they were mottling the
peppers and they were small.

Hopefully a natural predator will set in and keep them in check.

They are funny coming into the house when fall sets in and leaving in
the spring.
I've been reading about those on the W3 for some time, now. As far
as I can determine, they've not yet made it down to Florida but it seems
inevitable. And when they do, they're certain to find it the same bug
Nirvana as has a host of other imports.
We do have a wide variety of green and brown "shield" bugs and of
the related "leaf footed" bugs. One or two varieties of shield bugs are
"bugiverous"; unfortunately it is virtually impossible to identify them
without first killing them.
In addition to transmitting viruses (virii ?) all of the
plant-feeding species do immediate and lasting damage to leaves as well
as to fruit. They are particularly debilitating to tomatoes, peppers,
eggplant and beans.
I know of no effective control except, perhaps, for carbaryl
("Sevin"), which is too extreme for me to consider. Also, surrounded as
I am by a broad expanse of native habitat, control efforts are futile.
A wide array of commercial and of DIY stink bug traps, including
one developed by University of Florida, exists but, as far as I can
determine, they all trap too many innocent bystanders to suit me so I
just live with the bugs, accepting the damage they do as sort of an
"interloper's tax". However, I do believe I'd try to devise some method
of screening the target plants from their attacks before ceasing
cultivation entirely.
I suppose that if I were gardening for the market, my attitude
might be a little different but for now I'm content just to skoosh the
adults and to drown the nymphs in soapy water. Nymphs are easy to spot
because of their bright color and are easy to catch due to their habit
of releasing and dropping to the ground when disturbed. Gratifying but
of no net benefit in controlling their number.

They are very specific to which plants they like here. Bell peppers were
pretty bad.
I just hate the couple hundred a year I take own inside the house, all
winter long.

Greg

Derald wrote:
Frank wrote:

Don't know what's going on with the wasp they were looking at for control:

http://www.delawareonline.com/VideoN...ill-stink-bugs

Nor do I but it begs the question: "What happens when the wasps
run out of stink bugs?".

it is rare that a biological control will reach 100%.
so they are unlikely to get them all, instead it just
helps to moderate the damage to acceptable levels.


Unless the wasps feed exclusively on the stink
bugs, other species may be put at risk either by becoming a food source
or by being displaced in the hunt for food in much the same manner that
imported honeybees displace native bees when they're allowed to
"naturalize" in the wild. I am not averse to "natural" controls and use
them myself in my own garden (Bt, "carnivorous" nematodes, and "nolo")
but they all require thorough investigation in order to avoid or, at
least, to minimize the chances of unintended consequences.

yes, i consider it a rare event that if a bug feeds
on other bugs that it only feeds on one.

i think the broader question is to look at what
happens over time. like it has been mentioned (in
the wiki page i think it was) that there seems to be
some adaptation and feeding by local bugovores to
reduce the population.

if what we have is them about then i'm not seeing
the supposed damage they can cause. and we do have
plenty of them about in the fall and spring based upon
how many i find indoors. as i never actually find
them on plants i can't say what they might be feeding
upon.


songbird

On 7/31/2013 9:18 PM, gregz wrote:
Derald wrote:
Frank wrote:

I see they first showed up in Allentown, Pa in 1998:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown_marmorated_stink_bug

I quit growing peppers a couple of years ago as they were mottling the
peppers and they were small.

Hopefully a natural predator will set in and keep them in check.

They are funny coming into the house when fall sets in and leaving in
the spring.
I've been reading about those on the W3 for some time, now. As far
as I can determine, they've not yet made it down to Florida but it seems
inevitable. And when they do, they're certain to find it the same bug
Nirvana as has a host of other imports.
We do have a wide variety of green and brown "shield" bugs and of
the related "leaf footed" bugs. One or two varieties of shield bugs are
"bugiverous"; unfortunately it is virtually impossible to identify them
without first killing them.
In addition to transmitting viruses (virii ?) all of the
plant-feeding species do immediate and lasting damage to leaves as well
as to fruit. They are particularly debilitating to tomatoes, peppers,
eggplant and beans.
I know of no effective control except, perhaps, for carbaryl
("Sevin"), which is too extreme for me to consider. Also, surrounded as
I am by a broad expanse of native habitat, control efforts are futile.
A wide array of commercial and of DIY stink bug traps, including
one developed by University of Florida, exists but, as far as I can
determine, they all trap too many innocent bystanders to suit me so I
just live with the bugs, accepting the damage they do as sort of an
"interloper's tax". However, I do believe I'd try to devise some method
of screening the target plants from their attacks before ceasing
cultivation entirely.
I suppose that if I were gardening for the market, my attitude
might be a little different but for now I'm content just to skoosh the
adults and to drown the nymphs in soapy water. Nymphs are easy to spot
because of their bright color and are easy to catch due to their habit
of releasing and dropping to the ground when disturbed. Gratifying but
of no net benefit in controlling their number.

They are very specific to which plants they like here. Bell peppers were
pretty bad.
I just hate the couple hundred a year I take own inside the house, all
winter long.

Greg


The only good I found from them coming in was they pointed out areas
around windows and sliding doors that needed caulking.

Derald wrote:
Frank wrote:

Don't know what's going on with the wasp they were looking at for control:

http://www.delawareonline.com/VideoN...ill-stink-bugs

Nor do I but it begs the question: "What happens when the wasps
run out of stink bugs?". Unless the wasps feed exclusively on the stink
bugs, other species may be put at risk either by becoming a food source
or by being displaced in the hunt for food in much the same manner that
imported honeybees displace native bees when they're allowed to
"naturalize" in the wild. I am not averse to "natural" controls and use
them myself in my own garden (Bt, "carnivorous" nematodes, and "nolo")
but they all require thorough investigation in order to avoid or, at
least, to minimize the chances of unintended consequences.

i know you keep saying this about honey bees vs. native
bees, but i don't see it out in the gardens here.

today i was sitting in the pathway near some flowering
mint, thyme and many other flowers listening and watching
(it's amazing how loud and busy it was as that pathway is
between two large patches of flowers) and i was observing
honey bees next to small bumble bees, the larger bumble
bees and the very tiny hovering bees. all of them feeding
off the same plant within a few inches of each other.
no fighting, no squabbles, no bumping, just busy working
the flowers.


songbird

On 8/1/2013 2:24 PM, Frank wrote:
On 7/31/2013 9:18 PM, gregz wrote:
Derald wrote:
Frank wrote:

I see they first showed up in Allentown, Pa in 1998:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown_marmorated_stink_bug

I quit growing peppers a couple of years ago as they were mottling the
peppers and they were small.

Hopefully a natural predator will set in and keep them in check.

They are funny coming into the house when fall sets in and leaving in
the spring.
I've been reading about those on the W3 for some time, now. As far
as I can determine, they've not yet made it down to Florida but it seems
inevitable. And when they do, they're certain to find it the same bug
Nirvana as has a host of other imports.
We do have a wide variety of green and brown "shield" bugs and of
the related "leaf footed" bugs. One or two varieties of shield bugs are
"bugiverous"; unfortunately it is virtually impossible to identify them
without first killing them.
In addition to transmitting viruses (virii ?) all of the
plant-feeding species do immediate and lasting damage to leaves as well
as to fruit. They are particularly debilitating to tomatoes, peppers,
eggplant and beans.
I know of no effective control except, perhaps, for carbaryl
("Sevin"), which is too extreme for me to consider. Also, surrounded as
I am by a broad expanse of native habitat, control efforts are futile.
A wide array of commercial and of DIY stink bug traps, including
one developed by University of Florida, exists but, as far as I can
determine, they all trap too many innocent bystanders to suit me so I
just live with the bugs, accepting the damage they do as sort of an
"interloper's tax". However, I do believe I'd try to devise some method
of screening the target plants from their attacks before ceasing
cultivation entirely.
I suppose that if I were gardening for the market, my attitude
might be a little different but for now I'm content just to skoosh the
adults and to drown the nymphs in soapy water. Nymphs are easy to spot
because of their bright color and are easy to catch due to their habit
of releasing and dropping to the ground when disturbed. Gratifying but
of no net benefit in controlling their number.

They are very specific to which plants they like here. Bell peppers were
pretty bad.
I just hate the couple hundred a year I take own inside the house, all
winter long.

Greg


The only good I found from them coming in was they pointed out areas
around windows and sliding doors that needed caulking.

Pouring water in my Mr Coffee yesterday and a dead stink bug floated to
the top. Don't know how long he was there. Told my wife that she might
notice a change in the taste of the coffee.

I could also tell you about the time a accidentally started to chew one.

On 7/31/2013 1:55 AM, Billy wrote:
In article ,
songbird wrote:

Gus wrote:
...
I love to having a garden and it is not about saving money, but it is a
fair amount of work and patience, and so frustrating when squirrels take
what I planted and nurtured. Fresh garden tomatoes are the best
vegetable there is. But alas my skills are not on par with the lowly
squirrel. I surrender to the little mammal with better gardening street
skills.

rat traps and peanuts are a effective combination.
make sure the birds can't see them tho...


songbird

And then I put out nuts for the squirrels, who, when I'm lucky, come
while I'm having my morning coffee and watching the birds at the feeder.
Sometimes they go down to the ground where the pampered birds have
dropped sunflower seeds. I've never lost any fruit to a squirrel. All
they do is entertain me.


Amusing myself just thinking of squirrels having coffee with you ')