Month: July 2021

How to identify Kudzu Bugs

Posted on by pestadvisors

How can you tell if the bug you’re looking at, in your home, your garden, or on your farm, is indeed a kudzu bug? 

What Are Kudzu Bugs?

Kudzu bugs, which are scientifically known as Megacopta cribraria and are also called bean plataspids or globular stink bugs, are small insects native to South East Asia. As their name suggests, the equally invasive kudzu vines that were first introduced to the United States in the late 1800s from the same region are one of their primary food sources — by tapping into the plant with their sharp mouth pieces, kudzu bugs can turn these “mile-a-minute” vines into a shadow of their former selves very quickly. Kudzu bugs don’t merely damage these weeds, however. They also feed on many other beans and legumes, endangering the livelihoods of farming communities in the process. 

Today, kudzu bugs quickly spread through states that produce large quantities of soybeans, reducing the yield of these crops by up to three quarters in the process. In addition to soybeans and kudzu, other important sources of food in the US include:

  • Pigeon peas
  • Black eyed peas
  • Lima beans
  • Pinto beans
  • Alfalfa
  • Wisteria
  • White clover
  • Red clover
  • Perennial peanuts

It will come as no surprise that you are most likely to come across kudzu bugs in regions where the insects’ food sources are abundant, nor that the bugs congregate in larger numbers in the direct vicinity of the crops they feed on and that serve as their reproductive habitats. 

While kudzu bugs pose an enormous threat to the agricultural industry, they have also become a nuisance to countless homeowners in these regions. Once the weather grows cooler, kudzu bugs set out in search of a suitable place to hibernate, and they are especially attracted to white and light-colored surfaces. On the positive side, this allows for the best opportunity most homeowners have to get rid of them.

From early October through late November, people living in areas where kudzu bugs are particularly problematic may find these pests swarming around their homes. They are looking for small cracks and crevices where they can safely spend the winter, and will come inside given a chance. 

Although kudzu bugs do not bite or sting, and they don’t spread diseases either, they do pose two special and related challenges. When threatened or crushed, kudzu bugs emit a yellow secretion that:

  • Stinks — kudzu bugs belong to the same superfamily of insects as stink bugs, and the odor they emit tends to linger
  • Causes skin irritation on contact, ranging from mild swelling to nasty welts
  • Leads to yellow-orange stains, but on your skin and on surfaces such as wood or fabrics

What Do They Look Like?

Adult kudzu bugs can be recognized fairly easily, thanks to their rather distinctive appearance. They:

  • Measure between 3.5 and 6 mm long; around the size of a ladybug
  • Are colored olive-green with specks of black
  • Have a round body shape, similar to that of a turtle
  • Feature a characteristically wide back end that is significantly wider than their heads, something that sets kudzu bugs apart from many otherwise similar-looking insects

One further characteristic that makes kudzu bugs stand out is that they almost always congregate in large clusters. While you may be able to spot a single stink bug, kudzu bugs come in groups — and that is how you will find them attempting to make their way into your home when they are looking for a place to overwinter.

The egg capsules, which are deposited in long lines, are tubular in shape and appear on the underside of leaves. Kudzu bugs go through multiple nymph stages, but these immature kudzu bugs are smaller, have a fuzzy appearance, and have a narrower rear.

Black Kudzu Bugs?

Have you spotted a black insect that you believe to be a kudzu bug, but are confused by the fact that kudzu bugs are supposed to have a dark green appearance? There are two possibilities. From even a slight distance, kudzu bugs, which have speckles of olive alongside very dark and black portions, can look entirely black. 

Shield bugs, which belong to the same family and are lined with an orange border, can also easily be confused with kudzu bugs. They have a narrower lower body, however, and are less rounded. If you are not sure what type of bug you are dealing with, try to capture one so that it can be examined further.

How to get rid of Kudzu Bugs

Posted on by pestadvisors

The words “kudzu bug” might have sounded like music to your ears if you’ve ever dealt with a kudzu vine invasion, but these pests have turned out to be even more of a nuisance than the mile-a-minute vine itself since they were first spotted in the USA, and more specifically in Georgia, in 2009. 

Kudzu bugs — scientifically referred to as Megacopta cribraria and also called bean plataspids — are oddly-shaped insects about the size of a ladybug. They can be recognized by their round, turtle-like, appearance, olive-green color, and the fact that their rear ends are significantly wider than their heads. Because kudzu bugs like to congregate in large clusters, you are unlikely to ever see just one.

Within just a few generations, kudzu bugs have proliferated at frightening speeds. These pests have spread like wildfire throughout Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina, and reports that they’ve reached other southern states — including Texas and Florida — are emerging.

That fact represents a huge problem for farmers and gardeners. True, many welcome the fact that kudzu bugs feast on invasive kudzu vines, but they also feed on soybean plants. Without even eating the beans themselves, kudzu bugs weaken soybean plants by sucking out their juices, slashing crop yields by as much as 75 percent. Wisteria and other legumes provide other hosts for kudzu bugs, meaning these plants act as food sources as well as reproductive habitats. Kudzu bugs have also, however, been found simply “chilling” on plants they are known not to eat, including sunflowers, figs, and grapes. 

Kudzu bugs may pose an extremely serious challenge for those in the agricultural sector, but homeowners, too, can be in for a nasty surprise if they live in areas where bean plataspids have taken root.

If you’re one of them, you may have fallen into the trap of trying to squash the insects, only to be met with a range of unexpected consequences. Kudzu bugs:

  • Produce a foul odor when threatened or squashed — because they’re members of the notorious stink bug family. 
  • Release a yellow “goo” that has the potential to cause permanent stains on surfaces within the home. 
  • Can lead to serious skin reactions when you’re exposed to them, and particularly if you squash them. These can range from swelling and redness to blister-like welts. 

Do you believe your home has been invaded by kudzu bugs? You’ll have only two questions. How did they get there, and how can I get rid of them as fast as possible?

How Do You Get Kudzu Bugs?

Just like other insects, kudzu bugs hibernate to survive the cold winter. If you live in an area that has fallen victim to large kudzu bug populations, that means the bugs may find a hospitable environment in your home when they turn in for the winter — from October to late November. 

At first, you may spot large groups of kudzu bugs congregating on your walls, around window frames, near doors, and around vents. They’ll try to spend the winter in cozy cracks, and will happily make their way inside your property if they can. There, you’ll find them in big groups around cracks and other small spaces. Because kudzu bugs are drawn to light colors, and especially white, you are more likely to find them in and around your home if these colors heavily feature in your exterior or interior decoration scheme.

Once kudzu bugs find a safe space to overwinter inside your property, you likely won’t see them again until the spring. Starting in March, they’ll begin their exodus, and you’ll be confronted with a swarm once more. Ew. 

What’s the Fastest Way to Get Rid of Kudzu Bugs?

The best way to control a kudzu bug problem in your home is to make your property unattractive to these pests. You can do that by:

  • Eliminating nearby kudzu growths wherever possible, alongside wisteria plants.
  • Having screens professionally installed on your windows, doors, and around any vents.
  • Working to repair any small crevices where kudzu bugs may otherwise choose to hibernate.

If you already have kudzu bugs inside your property, the good news is that almost all commercially-available big sprays and bug bombs will effectively kill kudzu bugs, too. Having your home professionally fumigated — and asking the pest control company to apply bug spray to your exterior walls, too — is the fastest way to successfully deal with a kudzu bug infestation. Of course, it is crucial to follow all the recommended aftercare steps to ensure that the fumigation does not pose a risk to human and pet health.

Those who would like to take a greener approach can attempt to vacuum the bugs, using a stocking as a barrier. By doing so, you will simply be able to remove the stocking and gently removing it from the vacuum pipe, avoiding squashing the bugs and releasing foul odors in the process. Once the bugs have been hoovered up, you can use the same approach many farmers do, and place the kudzu bugs in warm and soapy water. The surface tension created by the soap prevents the bugs from escaping as they are drowned. 

This step, combined with preventative measures designed to stop kudzu bugs from getting into your home again, goes a long way toward getting rid of kudzu bugs for good.

Are Kudzu Bugs dangerous?

Posted on by pestadvisors

Are kudzu bugs dangerous? You only need to consider the fact that their presence decreases soybean yields by up to 75 percent, threatening supply lines and endangering the livelihoods of many farmers, to get your answer. 

If you’re a homeowner who has discovered large clusters of kudzu bugs congregating in your garden, on your exterior walls, and maybe even inside your property, that’s not what you want to know, though. You are wondering if kudzu bugs pose a risk to the health and wellbeing of your family and your pets. The simple answer is “yes, potentially”. Here’s what you need to be aware of if are dealing with kudzu bugs. 

Do Kudzu Bugs Bite?

Kudzu bugs primarily feed on kudzu, soybeans, wisteria, and other legumes. Although kudzu bugs have sharp and piercing mouth parts to effectively tap into these plants, they do not bite or sting people or pets. 

Are Kudzu Bugs Poisonous?

Kudzu bugs are not poisonous — but that does not mean that they do not pose a threat to your health. When threatened or squashed, they release yellow-tinted excretions that are known to cause skin irritation on contact. 

Some people will walk away with nothing worse than a slight swelling (and a yellow stain that wears off after a few days). Those with allergies, however, may suffer from severe swelling and even blister-like welts. While these welts will likely remain confined to the areas of the skin where contact with kudzu bugs occurred, such as the hands or, if you step on a kudzu bug, your feet, this varies from one person to another. Some people may need medical attention after contact with a kudzu bug.

Do Kudzu Bugs Stink?

Yes! Kudzu bugs (scientific name — Megacopta cribraria) belong to the same superfamily as stink bugs, Pentatomoidea. As such, the same yellow secretions that so often cause skin irritation when you squash a kudzu bug also emit a distinctly foul odor that can be very hard to eliminate despite your best efforts. 

Do you have a kudzu bug invasion in your home, and have you decided to call a pest control company to deal with it? After your home is fumigated, the remaining insect debris can also easily decay, leading to a similarly bad smell. It is important to act fast by removing all the insect remains, including those in small cracks, to prevent this.

How Do You Get Rid of Kudzu Bugs Safely?

To avoid both the skin lesions that kudzu bugs can cause when you crush them and the terrible stench that they can leave behind, it is crucial to avoid physical interaction with kudzu bugs as much as you possibly can.

If kudzu bugs have invaded your garden, you have a few options: 

  • You can choose to remove the plants that attract kudzu bugs from your property — although in the case of their favorite, the kudzu vine, this may prove to be a challenge.
  • You can treat the plants in your garden with pesticides.
  • You can manually remove as many kudzu bugs as possible, using a brush to evacuate them to a bucket of hot and soapy water. This method is also effective against kudzu bug larvae and their tubular clusters of eggs. 

When it comes to your home, prevention is your best option. Kudzu bugs need to hibernate during the winter, and will start looking for safe and warmer places to do so from early October through late November. They may swarm the exterior of your home, looking for crevices and vents through which they can enter. They won’t find a hospitable spot if you:

  • Apply pesticides to your exterior walls in a bid to ward them off. 
  • Have any cracks and holes around your home’s exterior sealed off professionally. 
  • Install window and door screens, as well as screens around HVAC vents. Kudzu bugs frequently enter through these spaces.

If you already have kudzu bugs in your home, don’t crush them! This will release a lingering foul odor and risk the aforementioned skin irritation. Rather, many people successfully eliminate kudzu bugs by vacuuming them. Place a stocking inside the vacuum pipe to create a “net” in which you can easily catch kudzu bugs. Once finished, remove the stocking and seal it off with a rubber band. Now, you can place it in a bucket of hot, soapy water to get rid of the bugs.

How to get rid of Thrips naturally

Posted on by pestadvisors

Pest thrips are not just among the most common garden nuisances — they are also one of the hardest to get rid of. Thousands of individual species belong to the thrips family, and not all of them are harmful. Some thrips don’t cause damage to plants, instead preferring to munch on fallen leaves and insect debris, while certain predatory thrips should actually be welcome in the garden as they hunt down many of the pest thrips that threaten your plants. 

If you know you have a thrips problem in your plants, though, it’s important to take steps to tackle the infestation as soon as possible. Pest thrips like western flower thrips can damage your plants, flowers, shrubs, vegetables, and even trees as they feed — and in addition, they can also carry over 20 varieties of tospoviruses that can quickly threaten your entire garden or greenhouse. 

Both western flower thrips and other pest thrips have, research found, developed resistance to common insecticides, something made easier by their fast life cycles. After you’ve identified them, both for this reason and to protect your own health and the environment at large, you may wonder if you can get rid of thrips naturally. 

Are there organic cures for thrips?

Yes, you can take many steps to get rid of thrips naturally. Pest management experts have reached a consensus around the fact that organic and natural measures should always play an important part in managing pest thrips, even in cases where insecticides are also used. For the sake of transparency it is, on the other hand, important to mention that pest thrips are extremely persistent and difficult to get rid of. To have a chance at success, you will need patience, dedication, and a wide array of tools. 

Neem Oil

To be able to survive for so long, many plants have developed impressive defense mechanisms that can sometimes rival man-made insecticides and other pesticides. Neem oil, produced by the neem tree, contains azadirachtin — an impressive insecticide. Neem oil spray can be applied to thrips-infested plants in phase one of your thrips-control plan. In addition to the fact that neem oil deters thrips, those that do make contact with the substance will suffocate. 

Don’t think that neem oil is safe for human health simply because it is natural, though — both inhalation and skin contact can lead to irritation! While you handle neem oil, you may consider wearing gloves and wearing an N95 respirator. 

Aluminum Foil

Aluminum foil is another simple but very helpful weapon in your anti-thrips arsenal, particularly if you are trying to guard vulnerable seedlings against infestations. This is because thrips are, like many other insects, attracted to white, light-colored, and reflective surfaces. By strewing large sheets of aluminum foil around your garden, near your seedlings but without covering them, you’ll stand a good chance of distracting thrips for a good while. As pest thrips swarm aluminum foil sheets, your seedlings can survive those first crucial stages of life.

Reflective mulch is also often used in the defense against thrips for the same reason, with similar success rates. These easy steps can make a big difference, without any risk! 

Beneficial Insects for Outdoors

If you have thrips in your plants, you will be doing your best to fight them. In the process, why not enlist the help of these pests’ natural enemies? The fact that other insects can play a crucial role in thrips control is, in fact, an excellent reason to choose natural thrips control methods. You want to keep bugs that kill pests like aphids and thrips, which can protect your plants. 

Western flower thrips and other pest thrips can be kept in check with the help of powerful predators such as:

  • Green lacewings
  • Some species of parasitic wasps
  • Some predatory thrips
  • Minute pirate bugs

Many insect predators help control thrips infestations by wiping these pests out right at the start — by parasitizing their eggs, and making it difficult for new generations of thrips to flourish in your garden or greenhouse. The best part? It is now possible to order predatory insects that fight garden pests very easily, online. 

Other Ways to Control Thrips Naturally

The many other natural ways to get rid of thrips include:

  • Sealing cracks and entry points in greenhouses
  • Planting your flowers and garden away from areas where weeds that thrips also feed on grow, to prevent the spread of these pests
  • Applying row covers to your plants
  • Pruning damaged parts of your plants during the winter, as thrips may be hibernating here
  • Hosing plants that can tolerate it down with water to physically eliminate thrips

Getting rid of thrips isn’t easy, but these natural steps can help you control this pest — and even if you do choose to turn to insecticides, it is important to also include organic pest control steps into your plan.

Are Thrips dangerous?

Posted on by pestadvisors

Thrips — a name that emerged from the ancient Greek word for woodworm — are not a single insect species, but an entire and diverse group of species. Of the more than 7,000 different kinds of thrips that have been identified so far, only a small portion would be considered pests. Many of the remaining species feed on insect debris, fungi, or decaying leaves, something that poses no threat to agriculture. Some, like those that eat aphids, are even actively helpful. 

Those thrips that are pests, however, pose a threat to a wide range of plants and flowers in two distinct ways. One of them is direct. As thrips feed on countless different plants, flowers, shrubs, and even trees, they leave noticeable damage behind. In addition, thrips can carry a variety of plant viruses, damaging the vegetation they feed on indirectly. The Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus is merely one example of the viruses thrips can transmit to plants. When a plant has been exposed to thrips, leaves may develop lighter or darker spots, shrivel up and become rounded or take on a bud-like appearance, and the plant may even become so weak that it dies. 

Because there are so many different kinds of thrips, these insects can be hard to identify. In general, they are slender, their long bodies are shaped like a projectile, and they range in size from about half a millimeter to five millimeters. Some thrips have wings, while others do not. Those that do generally do not fly very well.

Nobody would welcome these pests in their garden, and there is no question that certain thrips are rather dangerous for your plants. Do thrips also pose a threat to human health, though? What should you do if you find thrips among your plants?

Do Thrips Bite?

Yes. Some of the many thrips species can and do, occasionally, bite people. Unlike dangerous pests such as mosquitoes or ticks, thrips do not, in fact, feed on human blood, nor do the many plant viruses thrips can carry pose a risk to humans. 

One distinguishing feature of thrips is the fact that they are able to find sustenance in numerous different types of plants, rather than primarily depending on only one food source. When thrips bite humans with their characteristic asymmetrical mandibles, they are simply in search of food. Once they discover that you aren’t it, they will quickly move onto greener pastures. 

Those who are bitten by thrips are unlikely to see the bite in action — rather, they’ll feel a painful sensation (thrips have sharp mouthpieces that can break skin), inspect the site, and fail to spot the bug that has already cleared out. 

The bite may, however, leave a small red lesion that can even become a little inflamed and lead to a localized skin rash. Those who are allergic can expect a stronger reaction. In these cases, seeking medical attention is always advised; you likely won’t know what type of bug bite you, after all. 

If you are trying to prevent thrips bites, wearing an insect repellent that contains DEET will do the job — and it will also protect you against more dangerous bug bites.

What Do I Do if I Find Thrips in My Plants?

Thrips can be hard to identify due to the fact that many are so tiny. Gently tapping the leaves of your plants while you hold a white piece of paper underneath can cause thrips to drop down, allowing you to get a closer look. At that point, you may be able to tell that you are dealing with thrips — but identifying the exact species is a challenge of its own. For this, you are best off reaching out to professionals. 

Steps you can take to control thrips include:

  • In greenhouses, close off potential points of entry, like small vents and cracks around door frames. Discard the plants you believe were damaged by thrips. 
  • Spread reflective mulch, which will help keep thrips populations down while also being effective against many other pests. 
  • For green pest control, inquire about introducing species like predatory thrips and parasitic wasps to your garden. 
  • Cover your plants with a mesh to prevent thrips from getting to them.
  • Consider using an insecticide, including more natural solutions like pyrethrin, while being aware that some thrips have developed resistance to these. 
  • Call a pest control company and inquire about an integrated pest control plan. This difficult process, which will often include discarding infected plants that could otherwise spread viruses to other plants, will also ultimately be most successful. 

How to identify Thrips

Posted on by pestadvisors

Thrips are an incredibly diverse group of tiny insects that belong to the order Thysanoptera. Although reputable national organizations, like the National Plant Board and the National Plant Diagnostic Network, recognize the existence of over 7,000 different thrips species, there isn’t even a general consensus about the number of different types of thrips in the scientific community — and individual thrips species can have extremely diverse impacts on your garden.

Many thrips species feed on decaying organic substances such as leaves and other dead insects, while others eat fungi. These thrips pose no threat to your garden or farm. A few thrips species, aptly called beneficial thrips, even target garden pests like aphids, whiteflies, and other thrips. These can be actively helpful.

The thrips you will be concerned about can, on the other hand, cause extensive plant damage and even loss. As they feed on stems, flowers, and leaves, the plant can develop visible signs of insect activity, and eventually wilt. That isn’t all, though, as pest thrips can also carry over 20 different types of plant viruses that can ravage your garden. You don’t want these kinds of thrips anywhere near your well-maintained flowerbeds, vegetable garden, or fruit trees, but how can you identify them?

What Do Thrips Look Like?

Keeping in mind that there are thousands of different thrips species, some helpful things to know about the general appearance of most thrips include:

  • Thrips are unusually slender insects with bodies that are extremely long in comparison. 
  • They generally measure between 0.5 and 14 millimeters in length, with an average of one millimeter, as adults. 
  • Many thrips feature characteristically narrow, fringed, and weak wings — and many don’t fly very well, instead leaping from one place to the next. Immature thrips, and the adults of some thrips species, do not have wings.
  • Many adult thrips are yellow, translucent, black, or brown, while immature thrips (nymphs) tend to have a green appearance. 

How Can You Tell if You Have Thrips?

Successfully identifying thrips is, unfortunately, much more difficult than spotting a mosquito, a tick, or a fly. Not only are pest thrips rather fast, despite their poor flying abilities, they also tend to be truly tiny. This makes identifying thrips a challenge even for experienced entomologists. If you do happen to see thrips, they are most likely to appear as small long bugs that quickly slither or dash across a leaf or flower without offering you the chance to get a closer look.

Even if you do manage to get a thrips, or a couple, into a glass jar for closer study, you will find it extremely tricky to determine what type of thrips you are dealing with. Often, the best way to tell that you have pest thrips in your plants is to look at the damage these pests have caused. Getting rid of them is often the only way to save infected plants.

What Does Thrips Damage Look Like?

Fortunately, you do not have to see thrips in action to be able to tell that you likely have pest thrips in your garden. Looking at the ways in which your plants were damaged can offer important insights:

  • Thrips may damage leaves and flowers on trees and shrubs, but are rarely able to weaken them to the point where they can no longer survive. 
  • Avocado thrips can leave silver or brown colored damage on the fruits, something that doesn’t render them inedible. 
  • Bean thrips, which also feed on different legumes, onion thrips, Cuban laurel thrips, and many other types of thrips tend to cause leaves to turn brown or black, and the damage additionally makes leaves and petals wilt or roll up. When thrips damage flowers or leaves in as they are growing, the buds can fail to open up or may be very small and abnormally shaped.
  • Citrus thrips leave their mark in the form of silvery damage on the fruit, while causing leaves to wilt and take on distorted shapes. 

Western flower thrips, which are among the most common pest thrips, can feed on a wide variety of plants, from jewelweed to roses, and from grapes to peppers. These thrips are also responsible for a shocking variety of plant diseases. The damage caused by this common nuisance can be seen as lighter and darker spots on leaves, as well as shriveled and deformed leaves and petals. Some of the plants may die, and the plant diseases thrips carry can spread to other plants as well.

If you do suspect that you have thrips in your plants, the ideal course of action would be to consult pest control professionals about integrated pest management. This approach combines environmentally-friendly steps, such as the introduction of predators that eat pest thrips, with pesticides.