I see one occasionally but not much.

I am just north of Atlanta and yes, there are stink bugs here. I find a couple in the house almost every day now. I don't know where they're coming from.

They seem to have slowed down in their appearance lately. At least they don't bite or get into our food.

We have lots of them outside.

And they FLY!! Mine seem to be attracted to the light so one will fly from somewhere and land on the computer desk or in my hair. Where have they all come from suddenly? I used to see them just outside but now they are indoors.

They over winter in garden debris and weed plants. Mine were 10 times worse this year. We have neglected properties on two sides of us, plus a big cotton farm started up a year ago about a mile away. Not sure if that is contributing or just a coincidence.

I haven't seen many lately, (last week or so) we are getting super cold temps here though, single digits and soon -10F on Monday and -5 F on Tuesday. Maybe they are coming down to greet you guys now. I guess I was lucky I only had a small amount of them. There was a show on TV called "Infested" I think on Animal Planet channel, and one story had shown a family that really had a bad problem with them. I haven't used bug killing chemicals before, maybe they are being kept in check by another insect? Or I'm damn lucky.

Maybe it's too cold where you live for them to over winter? We have had 2 warm winters in a row without many killing frosts. I cleaned out my strawberry bed and found one hiding under the leaf debris.

We call them kudzu bugs. I'm hoping the low temps are going to wipe them out (along with the armadillos!).

I guess you guys are getting some of the Arctic Hurricane or whatever they are calling it. We had a low of -10F early this AM, and are due for -5F over tonight into Wednesday here in SW Pa. I have 2 live oak from Mossy oak natives in Mississippi that still has foliage after last night's -10F, knock on wood, I am hopeful. This is winter #2 in Pa for them. They are hybrids, I hope tonight's -5F doesn't do them in. I am off topic, but am kinda excited about these trees looking as though they may shrug off these temps. And many here in Ga are familiar with live oaks. They don't grow here in Pa, well the usual ones don't believe me I have tried 3 already, those I am trying are hybrids of some sort, but they look the same as the Georgia state tree Quercus Virginiana.

I'm glad it wasn't a hurricane! I'd take cold any day over one of them. We boarded up and hunkered down for 3 of them in 2004 and 2005. We had 3 hurricanes in 6 months. It still stresses me out to think about it. We had minimal damage, Thank God! But staying inside and hearing the wind gusting to 100 mph for 12 hours is no treat.

Our weather people called it an arctic hurricane and another arctic **********, a word I can't remember to describe it. I have never weathered a hurricane like you guys in the south and near the coast. Our weather is never too extreme here. The last time my area had a tornado I was in high school and no major damage was done. Last week a truck bed liner blew about 30 ft from where it was in my yard, and that was a shock to me. Those -10F last week was a big deal around here. I do remember over the early or mid 2000's the south had more storm activity than the past, a friend of mine was living in a trailer in Florida, and me being worried for them, they went through propane like nobody's business from the unusual cold in Fla at the time. Well, the live oaks are still green, you may not be crazy about trees like me but, I figured I would mention it anyway. I had thought that having to storm prep would be hard for people in the path of hurricanes, especially when you have them as often as this last decade has shown. I have never seen a real armadillo, but heard they carry leprosy. I had always associated them with the Southwest before seeing "Billy the exterminator" on tv. Armadillos were mentioned several posts previous, I just remembered to comment on them now.

poaky1,

Yes, armadillos are in northeast Georgia! Haven't seen any in the garden, but they were more common as roadkill last summer than possum, skunk, raccoon, or deer.

I think the word you were looking for is cluster***k.

Storm prep is hard! We worked from sun up to sundown and hoped we got everything secured. We got to the point we left most of the boards up on the windows after the second one. We had an unusual house. It was about 1 1/2 stories high. My hubby designed it. No basements here. They just cover the pipes with concrete. We asked the builder of our first house what they did if a pipe broke. He said they use a jackhammer to get to it. No way! So hubby had a sub-basement in the second house so we could get to the pipes if necessary. We always had armadillos when we lived in central Florida. They can be quite destructive to a yard. No predators besides man that I know of. We even saw them in the day time. My hubby would clap his hands and they would jump straight up in the air! A funny sight to see.

This post was edited by zackey on Sat, Jan 11, 14 at 13:53

Allen, The cluster**** is probably a better description than they used on the weather channel, but I think they called it an "Arctic Vortex" I couldn't think of these words before, in the previous posts. Anyhoo, we do have basements here. Mine stays about 58F to 65F . I have my houseplants near the windows. Our roadkill is possum, raccoon, deer, skunk, squirrel, mostly possum and deer. It would be funny to see a spooked armadillo. We are having Black bear showing up in "the burbs" here and there, also. Well, I saw a stinkbug today near a window in the kitchen, on the window-frame. No big deal I suppose, a guy I know mentioned them Palmetto bugs, he, having lived in Florida. I think that snakes and venomous scorpions and spiders would be my nightmare come true. I would LOVE to see a bear from a safe distance, but those caught here, I haven't gotten to see.

Sorry to boast, but I am tickled to death that my 2 Live oak " Late drop" hybrid Live oak trees have made it after 3 days of below zero temps, and still look okay, perhaps a bit beaten up, but, not too shabby".{{gwi:325164}} {{gwi:325163}}.

I haven't posted for a while, and one post dealt with plantations and slaves, without going into detail. I guess that should have been on the HOT TOPICS forum. So anyhoo, how are things going weather-wise in Ga? If anyone wants to post a response. I could easily look that up, but wondered if anyone will share the situation locally, if not that okay.

60's daytime upper 30's at night. Next week that will change to 78/53. A kudzu bug looks different than a stink bug.

Thanks for replying Zackey. We had it in the 70's today, and 50's in the day and 40's in the night the past 3-4 days. We will be getting 20's and teens for a day or 2 then back in the 30's and 40's. We will get rain/ snow mix later tomorrow night. I have never heard of a Kudzu bug, I haven't seen Kudzu here, unless I saw it and didn't know what it was. Before this winter, where for my area we had 8-10 below 0F days (or nights) before this winter we had milder winters. Well this winter was brutal, I hope that most of the worst is past us for this winter. My 2 year old Live oak "late drop" will be fine other than some top die-back, I am hoping the worst is over. You guys are probably able to plant some things pretty soon. Are you guys over the spring frost danger or not til April? I want to start some seeds for broccoli, cabbage maybe brussells sprouts. I will plant them out in April.

I think I live near a breeding ground. We have a creek in our back yard and we were INFESTED with them...

Question: Will they terrorize rose bushes and perennials? I am about to plant a whole new garden and I'm a COMPLETE newbie and wanted to carry on my grandmother's legacy.

I was 12 when she passed and I never got to learn gardening from her before.

thanks

Bre Bradford

Breb, I can't give you help that relates to Georgia, but there are traps for stink bugs here in Pa. If you are referring to Kudzu bugs, I can't help there. I found a Stink bug feeding on my Desert rose, a houseplant in my area. It was in my basement, and sucked a limb dry. Last year I hadn't had any damage on my Tomato or Pepper plants here in Pa, but saw the stinkbugs everywhere. If I see them doing major damage, I will try to protect or kill. I hate spraying stuff though. I may put a couple plants in pots, and put in my greenhouse, in case they cause damage on inground plants.

Sorry Breb, This is a stink bug post. I had read the Kudzu bug post and forgot this was only stink bugs post. But anyways the should have the stinkbug traps in Georgia also. Zackey has answered my posts nice of (her?) I guess not everyone wants to answer my posts because I am in Pa, not Georgia, but the Pa gardening site was a ghost town all winter. I had couple other forums in winter to post in, and did. I enjoyed learning a little about Georgia from Zackey. I will likely post here again anyway. Even in spring/summer.

I don't mind answering anyone and bugs can be confusing, Brett. I know I have a hard time figuring out a good stink bug from a bad one and I've accidently killed lady bug larva.

I haven't seen any stink bugs yet outdoors. But, I haven't planted anything in the ground here yet. I have started seeds in pots, and put in a cold frame. Then in my cold greenhouse. I hope my basement dwelling houseplants are okay, yet. I'll understand when you get too busy to answer me. Let me know when you are busy, and can't find time to post to me. I would imagine you will be in prime garden season soon.

I'm never too busy to respond! My husband will be doing all of the planting, tilling and heavy stuff. I can tie up the tomatoes, scout for bugs and harvest. It's time to plant now. I wish I could lift and do more, but my shoulder is not healing after I had surgery last summer. I keep re-injuring it. Drives me nuts!

I have started several seeds also. I listed them on the if I moved to Georgia post. Some tender veggies, I started too early. The seeds germinated in a day, instead of several days. I started some flower seeds also. I listed them all on the if I moved to Georgia thread. Sorry to hear about your shoulder. I don't want to get nosy, but I will add that they should have shown you how to do some exercises to gradually get you back into shape, as far as your shoulder. Well, in other words Therapy. If you couldn't afford the therapy after surgery, they should have shown you how to get your muscles back into good condition. My mom had surgery, she tore her rotor cuff. After wards she had therapy for 6-8 weeks. If you couldn't afford it, they should have tried to tell you a few exercises, or something to help you get your muscles ready to, well for lack of a better word, to work as they once did.

Hello all. I have stink bugs in my house and found a solution to capture them that is soooo simple! I wrote about it on my garden blog, but the credit goes to Virginia Tech since it was their website where I found the solution. I just had to share this easy idea to capture stink bugs in the house, which only uses an aluminum pan, soapy water, and a lamp.

Here is a link that might be useful: Homemade stink bug trap

Someone told me that they hate Raspberry, the smell of it. From what they said try a scented jelly-like cake, not sure where they got theirs from. It was some woman at the vet's office where I took my dog. Garden views, I haven't seen any stink bugs lately. The Raspberry is supposed to stop them from showing up, and your's helps when they are already there, either way, I hope they are not going to need either remedy.

I am sure most of you guys in Georgia are busy with plants, and I am too here in Pa, I just want to mention that stink bugs are gone here. It's weird, it may have been our brutal winter as mentioned above. Anyone in Ga seen any? We may see them again though.

Just here to say Hello, no stink bugs here yet in Pa. I think I will be hearing from Ga peeps soon, though. Hope you all have had a great spring and summer.