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pests Under Attack!!! Leaffooted Bugs

SV1000

SV1000

I found them last night after looking over the garden and they are numerous, too many to hand exterminate. Do ya'll have any suggestions to repel or kill the little bassturds???

On a good note, I saw my first Orange Hab out of several hundred on the six plants and a new Fatali. I also saw and photographted the wildest looking pepper in my life. I would post up pictures but GD Verizon can't pull their head out and fix my line. Maybe in the next week I can post from home.
 
I use malathion spray and it kills all the bugs. But if you want to go non-chemical then use insecticidal soap or neem oil available at walmart, home depot, lowes usually does the trick.
 
I had a lot of those bugs last year and I left them alone and they didn't seem to do any plant damage, but it seems some are predators while others are plant eaters. Watch and see if you notice any plant damage, if not don't worry about em. :)

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Unless you're growing pine cones you don't really need to worry about leaf footed bugs. They usually aren't a threat to pepper plants. Follow SS's advice and just watch them for a while. Good luck.

Great photo SS.
 
Oh man, thanks!

If they are not bothering the plants I won't bother with them, I have plenty to do around the house :D
 
Those are definitely pests or nuisance insects. Dont know if I would take a wait and see approach. I agree with CJB above and would get some insecticidal soap or neem oil and get rid of them. Maybe something stronger if that doesnt work. They are sucking type insects and go after young fruits and stems. They wont eat leaves, so you wont see immediate damage like with caterpillars. I know tomato growers and citrus growers hate them with a passion.
 
Not all are harmful. The ones I had never bothered my maters, hung out on my peppers a few weeks, never caused any damage I could see and eventually flew off to who knows where.
 
One of those called Assassin Nymphs bit me already. They come around to lay eggs then the little red buggers will be there soon...
 
These suckers are ruining my tomatos, I have to pick them green or by the time they start changing color they have #2 pencil eraser size holes all over them. I have sprayed with Sevin twice and I don't think it will work well since these suckers fly.

So Neem Oil next?

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Tomato eating SOB's. According to the Arizona Coop extension Sevin works on them. Here's more from them. "To control leaf-footed bugs with synthetic pesticides, use products containing Sevin if treating close to harvest date. If harvest is several weeks away, Endosulfan or Imidan may be used. Always read and follow label directions when mixing and applying these products. I know of no organic control methods for these pests other than hand picking and destroying them."

Hope that helps.
 
Silver_Surfer said:
Spray em with some Permethrin.

Until you get some I'd blast em off with the garden hose.
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I bought Permethrin on the way back from one of our jobsites, the concentrate that I can use in my hose sprayer so I should get better coverage. I am thinking I will spray around 5:00 when I get home and one more time around twilight to catch the stragglers that call my peppers and tomatoes home.
 
Did these things ever attack your peppers SV1000? I feel kind of guilty telling you they weren't a threat. Hope you kill 'em all. Best of luck to you.
 
They are going after the peppers too but I have not seen the same damage as the tomatos which are flat gross looking.

No guilt dude, this is all for fun and no profit... :D

I picked up the Permethrin concentrate last night but my water hose sprayer attachment was missing the siphon straw and I could not figure out the conversion from ounces per 70 gallons of water or whatever it was labeled so I mixed the Permethrin in the old Sevin squirt bottle and hosed the plants down. I also hosed down every bug I saw too. At 10:00 AM this morning I did not see any bugs when I stopped by the house, I will check again tonight and may re-spray to catch as many as possible.
 
Will these insecticides also kill the ladybugs? I'm starting to get ladybugs now that the weather is getting warm. I don't have aphids yet, but do see the assassin bugs on occasion.
 
chileaddict said:
Will these insecticides also kill the ladybugs? I'm starting to get ladybugs now that the weather is getting warm. I don't have aphids yet, but do see the assassin bugs on occasion.
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Only if you spray it directly on them. After it dries it only attacks leaf sucker/munchers.
 
Silver_Surfer said:
Spray em with some Permethrin.

Until you get some I'd blast em off with the garden hose.
Click to expand...


I went out this afternoon to turn on the soaker hose and I did not see a single Leaf-footed bug after spraying on Wednesday. I am taking a short trip tomorrow so I will check again Sunday morning and may reapply the Permethrin if I see stragglers.
 
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