Gardening is a fun and fantastic time to grow and cultivate plants. It brings people happiness, and the enjoyable sight of beautiful flowers blooming during the day is priceless. Some, if not all, treat gardening as therapy when they experience a stressful day and need a pause from everything.
But, what could hinder the blooming of beautiful plants in a garden? The answers are garden pests. Garden pests are not suitable for any garden. They can kill your plants, and they don’t just ruin the plant’s foliage, but they affect even the deepest roots. They could also transfer diseases in plants that could greatly hinder their growth and development.
Not to mention, other pests like to stay on plants to feed on other pets, like Stink bugs. But don’t worry nor panic; just like other garden pests, stink bugs could be controlled and rid of. Thus, listed here are relevant information about what are stink bugs and ways on how to get rid of them successfully:
What are Stink Bugs?
Stink bugs, or also termed “shield bugs,” got their name due to the unpleasant odor they produce during times that they feel threatened. Stink bugs could be categorized as either a large oval-shaped insect or a shield-shaped insect. Also, they could grow at almost 2 cm.
Stink bugs have a small head and only have two pairs of wings. They are known to be attracted to light, so it’s better to check out the plants you have outdoors if they have been affected in any way by this pest. They could be found in gardens and even homes, but mostly in warm climates where they could reproduce more.
The odor produced by stink bugs helps them to be protected from predators around them as if it is their shield. Stink bugs are not known to be dangerous to humans, but they can harm crops and negatively affect the agricultural industry, so it is important to find out how to eliminate this pest. To understand more about stink bugs, visit Gardener’s Path.
How Do Stink Bugs Damage Your Garden?
As stated above, stink bugs could greatly harm and feed on plants as they want to. They may feed on the plant’s juices and attack vegetables. Some of these are tomatoes, beans, corn, peppers, and more. They can create three major damages in a plant. Either they kill a small seedling that was just about to grow, produce a stunted or dwarfing plant, even cause suckering.
They could be a source of nuisance to people. Although this specific pest does not spread diseases, they do damage ornamental plants and gardens. Also, a female stink bug could produce as many as 30 to a hundred eggs at a time. So, can you imagine the damage if that number of pests would attack any of your gardens?
How Do I Get Rid of Stink Bugs Successfully?
Since stink bugs could create nuisance in everyday life and damage garden plants, a control system is necessary. Read down below to learn about how you could remove stink bugs from creating more damages.
Keep Your Garden and Surroundings Clean
Pests love to stay in decomposing logs or any decaying plant. Thus, keeping your garden area clean could decrease the potential of garden pests like stink bugs. You could start by removing dead leaves and trim overgrown grasses and plants. Stink bugs usually use the weeds in the garden to hide and cover-up.
Suppose you happen to find any cracks or holes outside your home where stink bugs could hide on, seal them using any good quality silicone or any material you could use. Also, look behind your chimneys and pipes as they could also stay there.
Turn Your Lights Off
As mentioned above, pests are fond of light. They could be easily attracted to plants that are hit by light, especially during nighttime. So, a great way to get rid of them is to turn off any light in your garden and cover your windows with curtains when you have a light inside your home, so it does not reflect outside and reflect onto your plants.
Check on Items You Bring Home
Carefully inspect one by one the boxes and any grocery bags you have before bringing them into your home. Although this may take some time, stink bugs could be transferred in this way. It’s better to feel sure than to feel sorry later on.
Make Use of Some Row Covers
The presence of stink bugs in the garden could be unexpected. But, when they do attack, it could create damages. Thus, using a row cover as a protective shield for plants helps prevent stink bugs from having access on the inside. They don’t only protect your plants in strong wind.
Turn to Insecticidal Soaps
If handling stink bugs gets out of hand, a good alternative is to use insecticidal soaps. They are known to be affected in killing stink bugs and are used by lots of other gardeners. They are also safe for your plants and will only target pests.
Takeaway
Now that most people stay indoors due to the spread of COVID-19, there’s no other best time to start gardening than now. But, before starting, it’s best to know pests like stink bugs that could destroy all your hard work in planting to help you achieve your ideal house garden in no time.
Besides, gardening could also be a great way to unleash your creativity and free your mind from stressful situations. So, the relevant information stated above provides various ways to save your garden from the attack of stink bugs.
