The Japanese Beatles got here last week..woo hoo One flew into my hair and their creepy legs got stuck.eeeew...

We have those too. I'm lucky that they first find the willows and don't come any further into the yard in any numbers. They can eat all the willows they want. At least they don't emit a nasty smell when threatened or squished. There's a good reason the evil invaders in my yard are called stink bugs. lol

I'm getting the creepy crawlies reading this thread. The ones that make my skin crawl here right now are the grasshoppers. There are some as big and fat as my thumb and squishing them is like stepping on a mouse for heaven's sake. They're eating everything they can find as well.

I remember seeing loads of grasshoppers in my yard and everywhere when I was a kid. If I see 1 during the summer now it's a lot. I'm not complaining but it's kind of weird. I live in the same area that I grew up in and I don't see them anywhere anymore.

You can have some of mine if you like :-D

I have a plethora of grasshoppers i will gladly share as well..LOL

Kylie

I haven't seen stinkbugs...do they stink? hehe I hate aphids!! They're indestructable. I have so many on my brugmansia. Tried to spray them down with 10% soapy water...didn't work. Tried again with 80% soapy water...still didn't work. Plus or minus plant insecticides. I was growing mine indoors by the windows so silly me. I took the plant outside to feed to the spiders and killer lady bugs. Most leaves are torn by the sun and wind but good news...no aphids! Well 1 or 2 hiding somewhere.

They are definitely called stinkbugs for a reason. When threatened they emit a noxious odor and if you don't squash them fast enough they get their stink out as well. It smells like a mixture of rancid cilantro and dirty socks :( There's no natural predators and nothing manmade that kills them. They were introduced into PA from ships arriving from the Orient in the 90's and have been taking hold down the East Coast. They are having a huge impact on local agriculture.

Karyn, have you tried Talstar Pro for the stinkers?
I've never used it, but heard good of it. I won't use it because it kills spiders, but I can't remember if you garden organic. I know you keep growing the passies for the butterflies, and I didn't forget about sending you some chrysalis of frits-but this year I haven't seen any. If I get any, I will send them out.

It's pick & squish for me : ( I do use something for Broad mites but they are mite specific and the need to use it is so infrequent, maybe 1 time a year, if that. Other then that it's water or diatomaceous earth which has no effect on the stinkers. I have 1 brug that they've almost killed. I'll post pic so you can see what they can do to a plant. Hopefully the USDA will find a way to stop them before they spread much further. The farmers are losing entire crops. It's awful.

Hey Karyn, look what I just found. This might really help!

Here is a link that might be useful: Stink bug trap

Thanks for that link. There was an article about a home made light trap for stinkbugs about a week ago. I'd honestly be surprised if they work that well as I've never seen them attracted to light. If the phermones or whatever scent the person in the link is using was really effective I think it would have been publicized and I've yet to hear about any type of effective scent trap anywhere besides that auction. Sticky paper does work because they are flying around everywhere and inevitably some land on it. They really seem to like congregating under the brug foliage. It freaks me out when I knock them off because they fly out at you. I swear they are going to turn me off to cilantro and I love cooking with it but when they squirt their scent it smells like rancid cilantro. I could just imagine the stench around the trap in that link. The bugs would be squirting up a storm while stuck to the sticky paper. Blech!

I agree Kayrn. I have been considering giving up on Brugs. I have 15 on the patio and not one even have a bud this year. Most years I have a flush in April-May and again in July-Aug.

5 of my Brugs are 8 yr mature plants that I do not cut down in the fall. Because I do not have a problem with bugs in the winter that so many talk about I keep my plants alive during the winter in the Laundry room. Just so I have flushes early.

The stink bugs, heat and I think some type of virus has attacked them or they may need to be rejuvinated. I just do not know if I have the time or energy to work at making them beautiful again. I have some that I do not mind if they only bloomed once a season because I plant a dahlia or glad in the pot for flowers and the Brugs have the varigated leaves. But when the leaves look like hell and no blooms at all is very bad.

I use these plants for a decor on the large patio so I need beauty this is not working. My bananas and Cannas were beautiful. I might have to change my plan from Brugs to other plants for the patio.