How to Control Harlequin Bugs
The harlequin bug, also known as a stink bug, is a pest that attacks vegetables such as cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and turnips, although they have also been known to feed on tomatoes, eggplant, asparagus, potatoes and fruit trees. The bug sucks the sap or juice from the plant, causing it to shrivel and die. Left alone, an infestation of harlequin bugs can wipe out an entire garden, even an entire crop. Fortunately, there are methods of eliminating harlequin bugs. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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Strategies
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Pick off the adult harlequin bugs or their eggs by hand and destroy them. Harlequin bug eggs are easy to recognize. They are blackish purple and white and resemble little kegs lined up side by side. Adult harlequin bugs are about the shape of a ladybug; a harlequin is black with orange and white spots and a distinctive "V" on its back. The hand-picking method is only efficient if you have a small vegetable garden or a minor infestation.
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Plant trap vegetables in one part of your garden. Early in spring, set out turnip, kale or mustard plants; since they are among the harlequin bugs' favorite targets, they will attack these plants first. When you see that the trap plants are infested with harlequin bugs, cover them with straw and set it on fire, thereby completely destroying the entire colony of adults and their eggs. Do not leave the fire untended; stand nearby until it has burned all the infested plants, and keep a garden hose ready in case the fire spreads to the healthy plants in your garden.
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Dust your affected plants with the botanical insecticide sabadilla, which you can order online or buy at a garden-supply store. Sabadilla dust is an organic pesticide made from the seeds of the sabadilla plant. The dust will kill harlequin bugs on contact or if the bugs eat the dust. Another alternative is to spray the bugs with insecticidal soap, which attacks the cell membranes of the bugs, killing them within seconds.
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Tips & Warnings
After you have burned the harlequin bugs, inspect the other plants in your garden to make certain no eggs or adults have survived elsewhere. If you find any harlequin bugs or eggs, pick them off the plants and destroy them.
Always wear a facemask when applying sabadilla dust. If inhaled, sabadilla will irritate the lungs and nasal passages and can cause a sudden drop in blood pressure. Do not spray insecticidal soap on a windy day, since it will cause inflammation if it is blown into the eyes.
