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 Post subject: Pest Puzzler
PostPosted: Tue Sep 16, 2003 3:48 pm 
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Joined: Tue Sep 16, 2003 3:34 pm
Posts: 8
Location: Plano
For two summers now, the seed pods on my rose of sharon have been infested with these insects. I can't find them in any bug book. Not squash bugs, but a similar shield shape. Orange-ish heads. The juveniles are little bright red dots. Plus, they fly.

http://garden.samsdiner.net/badbug1.jpg
http://garden.samsdiner.net/badbug2.jpg

I can't tell if they are actually harming the shrub, but they are certainly having a good time...lots of mating, etc. going on. I've tried insecticidal soap, garlic/pepper tea, Neem oil, you name it (organically) and...nothing. A strong blast of water sends the adults flying, but they soon come back.
They do not congregate on any other plant in my backyard.

My questions: What the heck are these? Are they harmful? If so, how do I get rid of them organically?

Any help and/or advice would be greatly appreciated...thanks!


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PostPosted: Tue Sep 16, 2003 8:39 pm 
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Joined: Tue May 20, 2003 4:33 pm
Posts: 526
Location: parker county, texas
I have had the same bugs, and couldn't figure out what they were, so I posted a pic at another gardening site, and the general consensus was that they are in the assassin bug family and are predatory on other bugs, so I have just left them alone. I've never seen them harm any of my plants, but I can't promise that they don't. Are there any aphids or other small insects on your plants that these bugs could be eating?


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Wed Sep 17, 2003 2:48 pm 
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Joined: Mon Mar 10, 2003 9:10 am
Posts: 1278
Location: Dallas,TEXAS
They look like they could be a type of squash bug.
http://insects.tamu.edu/images/insects/common/images/a-txt/aimg61.html

http://insects.tamu.edu/fieldguide/aimg61.html

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The Laws of Ecology:
"All things are interconnected. Everything goes somewhere. There's no such thing as a free lunch. Nature bats last." --Ernest Callenbach


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Thu Sep 25, 2003 11:16 am 
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Joined: Thu Sep 25, 2003 11:12 am
Posts: 46
Location: lewisville,tx
Do these guys have what look like wing flaps on their back legs? I hve them on my peppers, both hot (cayene, jalepeno, habenero) and bells. The closest I've found is also assassin bug. :?


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