How do you eat you vegetables after you put poison on them?

with a fork! and thanks for your helpful and insightful comments, I'm sure you are a true asset to this site....anyone else out there who just might have any intelligent and constructive advice, I'm still interested in it. ELLY, you are welcome to eat the bug infested veggies to your hearts content....I'll loan you my fork.

Before you nuke your garden, there are many organic solutions available. Here is some readings to get you started:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Integrated_pest_management
http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/GARDEN/veggies.html
http://vegipm.tamu.edu/imageindex.html

some organic bug killers:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spinosad
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bacillus_thuringiensis
Garlic Pepper Tea might be worth a shot it not selective though:
http://www.dirtdoctor.com/view_question.php?id=204

I've had to pull about a dozen leaffooted bugs off my plant daily for the past several days. You just need to stay on top of it. To have a good organic program you need to monitor for infestations daily and nip them early.

Learn from your mistakes and remember you can expect to lose some stuff to pests.

Thanks for passing along the links Scott!

I can understand the feeling of having insects invading the veggie garden, but just wanted to post a note about Sevin.

Yes, it is a potent insecticide. Way back when I used to use it, even put it on my dogs for fleas -- until I learned how extra toxic it is to honey bees, not only to the individual bee, but they take it in and feed it to the brood and overnight the entire hive is wiped out. Bees are in enough trouble already. See link below.

Now I use organic solutions as suggested in Scott's links above and not only do they work very well, but the garden is in better balance with the good bugs keeping the bad bugs in check and not so much intervention is needed. I just didn't know about how this worked before and I certainly didn't know how damaging Sevin is.

Here is a link that might be useful: Bee problems

The "boxing gloves" note sure sounds like an "ambush bug". Try doing a Google Image search for "ambush bug". I saw one once, very distinct looking.

Try putting a wren house nearby. I had a pair of nesting wrens one time at my first home and they ate every insect in my vegetable garden, even under the leaves they worked the plants.

The first year at current home no insects, but the second season I did get some pests because they found my garden.

Pyrethrin is made from mums.

You will be OK to eat after using 7 dust if you follow the manufacturer's instructions closely. If not too many insects you can pick them off too! Wide spacing and deep rich soil helps the plants survive some insect damage as well.

You know what I noticed this year - I used Milky Spore disease on my property last year and this year I had almost zero Japanese beetles. That stuff is magic!