Are Stink Bugs really harmful?

9 years ago

Zone 2-3...
Hi all, so I didn't know what these guys were but something in the back of my brain remembered my mom telling me they smelled bad when I was really little. Now I'm finding them in my garden and I wouldn't say I have an "infestation", but I would say they are common. I just thought they were bugs, maybe gross to touch if they made your hands stink, but normal around the garden and no big deal until I googled them just today and it turns out they're not good or nice at all to veggie plants... and sunflowers which is my main concern since out of the 8 I planted, 2 have made it to near maturity and I'd hate to see them get sick from the stink bugs.

The internet told me that Cukes, Tomatoes and sunflowers were just some of the main prey of these bugs who carry sicknesses and create wounds on the plants to boot. Just how bad are they? How much damage do they create? And most importantly, how can I get rid of them without making my 4 year old sick when she sneaks a raw tomato from the plant while I'm not looking and eats it like an apple? I can't use poisons that will make her sick. Any help would be amazing, thanks!

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Comments (3)

digdirt2
9 years ago
Here is a link to another discussion about them just a bit further down the page. The search will pull up many more discussions if interested.

As to damage - it varies from region to region and crop to crop. My main concern with them is with my tomatoes as they can severely damage the fruit But Surround, the product I use to control them, while organic, is not something you'd want to eat without washing the fruit first. But then neither are any of the organic controls much less the chemical controls.

But then even as an organic gardener I really can't advocate eating anything from the garden without at least rinsing it off first so you might want to focus on that aspect with your daughter. :)

Otherwise handpicking or the vacuum recommended by others is your best option.

Dave
Bloomin_Onion
Original Author
9 years ago
Thanks Dave, you're right! I really focused on "tell mommy first if you want to eat a tomato last year"... I still caught her a few times with the fruit of her choice half way gone, but she did ask otherwise. I just didn't want to risk the "one time" if there's poison on the crops. :) I'll go over it with her again and again this year, lord knows it's easy to forget just how much a child grows in both mind and body in just one year! The only difference between last year and this year for me is a few grey hairs and maybe a few extra dollars in the bank hahaha :p Thanks for your valuable advice!
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galinas
9 years ago
Have no advice about stink bugs, but have one about 4 years old eating fruit without washing. Make it fun to her. Make a faucet available for her to use outside. Teach her how to properly wash her hands and the fruit. I am sure she will be washing it several times before she eats it - just because it is FUN to use the faucet). If you having problem with water running outside, you can use something like this.(see photo). in Russian it called "rukomoinik". Just make sure you change water in it 2 times a day when your daughter is outside and do not leave water in when she is not around. You can also wash it inside with some antibacterial wash before add fresh water in it.

I know, it is almost impossible to buy such thing in US, but you can actually make one from old pot with cover and and some metal stick.

Here is a link that might be useful: Read about