Mid March and warmer weather is descending upon us bringing a few pests currently, and some that will no doubt make a return. Inside our homes, the over-wintering nuisance insects have begun to come out of their hiding spots in attics and wall voids where they spent their winter dormancy. Now they are awake and clamoring to get outside to feed, mate and lay eggs on the their host plants. They fly to the windows and any lights trying to go outside. It is best to open the window and let them go or just vacuum them up. The list of nuisance insects which invade our homes in the fall, sleep off the winter, and awake in the spring are boxelder bugs, Asian lady beetles, leaf footed bugs and the brown marmorated stink bug.
Boxelder bug, photo p.cooper
Asian Lady Beetles.
Leaf footed bug.
Brown Marmorated Stink Bug, photo p.cooper
Other early season pests can be found in the vegetable garden. Asparagus beetle usually appears a few days after the first spears emerge. However now they are busy feeding below ground on the stems pushing their way up. If stalks curl around above ground, chewing damage by the adult beetle has happened below ground as the stalks were developing. Feeding on one side damages the developing cells, while the other side grows normally causing the distorted shoots. Not much can be done to correct the shape, although the asparagus is still edible, just funny looking. Scout the stalks and bed for the nearby asparagus beetles. Hand pick and squish any or spray with neem oil to reduce feeding.
There are two types of asparagus beetles, the common and the spotted.
Another early season pest is flea beetle. They get their common name due to the way they move or jump like a flea. They feed on leafy crops of spinach, lettuce and chard of the cool season crops, and love eggplant, tomato and peppers once the soil is warm enough to accept these transplants. Row covers over the plants will keep them off of the leaves. There is a predatory wasp which does parasitize asparagus beetle eggs. The wasp is metalic green and tiny, about 1/8 inch long. The Latin name of the wasp is Tetrastichus asparagi.
What insects are appearing in you area of the world?
-Carol Quish
March 28, 2016 at 7:07 pm
I believe i just found a ‘brown marmorated stink bug’ on my indoor geranium. Im not sure what type geranium-someone was goingbto throw it out a year ago-so i took it and nutsed it back to health. Im a 39 yr ild guy not the greatest botanist.., i dont know much at all-except i like plants-and do my best totake care of em. How can i get rid?of those bugs-if there are more-i would have to use organic household products-cant have chemicals in my house. I just lost a gerber daisy this winter to fungus gnats-and last fall lost a great marijuana plant to spider mites cuz i cant use chemicals. Please email me sirpunkzalot@gmail.com my name is walter
March 28, 2016 at 7:41 pm
Hello Walter,
The stink bug just overwintered in the house or on the plant. Since you only found one, just pick it off and kill it or put it outside. I will not be a problem for the geranium.
Regards,
Carol Quish