The bright dyed patterns of harlequin bugs ( Murgantia histrionica ) fire the comical character who inspired their name , but there ’s nothing humorous about the damage make by these destructive pest . Harlequin infestations can depart your garden in ruin , peculiarly when their best-loved crops are demand . With watchfulness and industriousness , you may control harlequin bug in your garden and keep works goodish and harlequin - free .
Knowing Your Enemy
Harlequin bugs are distinctive at each stage of lifetime . Found clustered on the undersides of leaves , their nut face like miniature barrel with two opprobrious bands and a dark " C " on top . They always appear in rows of six . Harlequin nymphs resemble rounded , pitch-black beetles with pale - green marking that promptly twist to bright red , white-livered and orangish . The carapace - shaped , patterned bodies of harlequin adults may be red and smutty or white-livered and bootleg , with seasonal change . In warm clime , harlequin bugs reproduce year - around and have two to four hachure per twelvemonth . The adults overwinter in plant debris and start the bicycle anew each spring .
Recognizing the Damage
Of all the plants in your garden , harlequin bugs prefer cole crop well . Annual veggie such as scratch , broccoli , pelf and cauliflower ( all sharing the botanical name Brassica oleracea ) suffer the brunt of harlequin damage . When these favorite crucifers are in little supplying , the bugs move on to other vegetables , fruits and even ornamentals . Both nymphs and adults have piercing - sucking mouthparts that damage all plant parts from stanch to seed . The bugs fellate out plant life succus and leave behind ashen stippling damage in their wake . Leaves wilt and twist brown , become disfigured and flex , and plants die from extensive damage .
Avoiding Invasions
Proper plant life culture , quick interference and good sanitisation foreclose serious harlequin infestations . Healthy plants resist gadfly and tolerate harm better than stressed plants . supervise harlequin - preferred crop closely , keep an eye on for the distinctive ball and insects . Manually transfer eggs , nymph and grownup from plant before the bugs take detainment . harlequin are stink bug , so drop them in soapy water to forfend the stink they make when crushed . Plant harlequin - resistive sort of their pet plants , and weigh row binding for add up shelter . Keep gardens free from smoke , and clean up all debris . If you till , do it in belated autumn to break up and reduce overwintering adult .
Battling the Bugs
introduce natural leech and predator reduces harlequin populations . Parasitic wasps , pirate bugs and praying mantid are their innate enemy . Turn to pesticide sprays as a last haunt . Neem oil treats harlequin eggs and nymphs , and pyrethrum - based products treat nymphs and adults . With 1 gallon of water , mingle 2 to 4 tablespoons of neem concentrate or 3 to 5 tablespoonful of pyrethrin concentrate . For either nebuliser , cover upper and low leaf surfaces thoroughly . Spray every seven to 14 Clarence Day , up to the 24-hour interval of harvest . Wear glove , protective wearable and safety goggles when you mix or spray . Note that these pesticides ca n’t key between harmful harlequins and good worm .
References
Related
