HELP..... with the latest attack on my Bonnets!

G

GrowrNotaShowr

[SIZE=10.5pt]Okay, so I came home the other day and find my best looking SB is completely wilted and the tops of the leaves looked like they were sprayed with sugar water.  As I inspected the plants I noticed that the underside of the leaves were covered in small black dots.  I took my hand and rubbed the leaves and it left a sticky residue on my fingers :(  I am no expert  but I am thinking it is a scale problem.  I isolated the infected plant and it lost all of its bottom leaves.  The plant is still alive and the new leaves do not appear to be affected at this time but I know that it is probably just a matter of time and it will return.  I also now have one more plant showing the same symptoms.  Does anyone have any suggestions on controlling/treating scale?  I have also noticed that the plants that appear to have scale have several Assassin bugs on them.  Do they eat scale?[/SIZE]
 
 
You sure they are assassin bugs and not Leaffooted bug nymphs? Maybe I'm the only one that's confused them. Just a thought!
 
Chewi said:
You sure they are assassin bugs and not Leaffooted bug nymphs? Maybe I'm the only one that's confused them. Just a thought!
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Oh crap, you may be on to something!  I am pretty sure that they are Assassin bugs but will do a little more research and try to get some pictures.  Do you know of a good way to ID them?
 
Assassin bugs are often confused with various members of family Coreidae.  In fact, assassin bugs often co-mingle with any number of different type of squash bugs, as they look similar to them.  But they're good predators, the other ones are assholes.
 
Good way to ID?  Yes, you just have to diligently research.  If you were an entomologist, you could easily spend a career on just this chapter.  LOL
 
BlackFatalii said:
 
 
Just pick one up. If it bites the crap out of you, it is an Assassin bug.  :lol:
 
But on a more serious note, here is a short article that might be helpful: https://beauregardparishcountrylife.wordpress.com/2015/06/11/comparison-between-leaf-footed-bug-and-milkweed-assassin-bug-nymphs/
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While I am confident that picking one up would be the most accurate way to tell an Assassin from a Leaf Footed bug, I will try that only as a last resort...... or after a few beers, Hahahaha
 
That is a good article.  It is amazing how similar they look!
 
I saw some assassin bugs on my plants recently. I believe they've been doing a pretty good job of whoopin' ass on these other critters.

We got tons of boxelder bugs at the community garden. I was under the impression that they only ate dead wood, but I keep finding nymphs on my plants. They don't seem to be eating the plants, but I keep chasing them away, just in case...

Gawd, I hate some of these bugs!!!
 
Bicycle808 said:
I saw some assassin bugs on my plants recently. I believe they've been doing a pretty good job of whoopin' ass on these other critters.

We got tons of boxelder bugs at the community garden. I was under the impression that they only ate dead wood, but I keep finding nymphs on my plants. They don't seem to be eating the plants, but I keep chasing them away, just in case...

Gawd, I hate some of these bugs!!!
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I'm pretty sure your box elder bugs are probably just interested in the detritus in and around your soil.  As annoying as they are in your house, when the weather starts getting cool, I think they're probably fairly beneficial to the garden. (or worst case, neutral)
 
Bicycle808 said:
I saw some assassin bugs on my plants recently. I believe they've been doing a pretty good job of whoopin' ass on these other critters.
 
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I am almost certain that the bugs that I am seeing are Assassins so I am trying to keep them around.  I still need to find a solution to the Scale problem that I have.
 
solid7 said:
 
I'm pretty sure your box elder bugs are probably just interested in the detritus in and around your soil.  As annoying as they are in your house, when the weather starts getting cool, I think they're probably fairly beneficial to the garden. (or worst case, neutral)
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That's a relief. I googled it, and most every case on the internet of Boxelder Bugs killing produce ended up being misidentified milkweed bugs, which look superficially similar...

We got some "new" lumber at the community garden to rebuild rotten beds, and the Boxelder bugs almost certainly came in with the boards.... They have since been very interested in exploring our garden and pissing everyone off....
 
Bicycle808 said:
That's a relief. I googled it, and most every case on the internet of Boxelder Bugs killing produce ended up being misidentified milkweed bugs, which look superficially similar...

We got some "new" lumber at the community garden to rebuild rotten beds, and the Boxelder bugs almost certainly came in with the boards.... They have since been very interested in exploring our garden and pissing everyone off....
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Even with them liking wood, I'd still say that's not all bad.  Any nitrogen that you put into your beds, is going, to some degree, count towards degrading the wood.  (nitrogen is what they use in commercial stump remover, after all)  So, if they have a little snackie, they're still going to leave a deposit.  Help you get back some of that nitrogen that's tied up in breaking down your planters. LOL
 
I am pretty certain that the bugs are Assassin bugs, so does anyone have any suggestions on what I should do for Scale?
 

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It looks like one. But there are hundreds, if not thousands of different varieties of them.  You gotta get a look at their mouth parts, to know for sure.
 
I was reading this older post and had never heard of an assassin bug - boy did I ever make a mistake by googling them !
 
I came across this nightmare fodder:
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmV6TjVNZGM
 
solid7 said:
 
Even with them liking wood, I'd still say that's not all bad.  Any nitrogen that you put into your beds, is going, to some degree, count towards degrading the wood.  (nitrogen is what they use in commercial stump remover, after all)  So, if they have a little snackie, they're still going to leave a deposit.  Help you get back some of that nitrogen that's tied up in breaking down your planters. LOL
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I've actually read extensively into this and it's only a problem if say, you're planting in 100% half composted pine bark
Most scenarios the plants root system is extensive enough to get nitrogen from other places that the small amount involved in decomposition is inconsequential 
 
Powelly said:
 
I've actually read extensively into this and it's only a problem if say, you're planting in 100% half composted pine bark
Most scenarios the plants root system is extensive enough to get nitrogen from other places that the small amount involved in decomposition is inconsequential 
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Why is bark a problem?  It's the component that should be using the LEAST amount of nitrogen, in any stage.  It's wood - cellulose, to be specific - that locks up nitrogen.  Which is why bark is selected as a soilless mix component over wood.
.
Mind you, I never actually painted this as an actual problem.  Just a bit of food for the overthinker...
 
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