I've never had ambush bugs in my garden, but have the related bee assassin bugs (Apiomerus crassipes) and I deal with them merely by watching for them and snipping them in half with my garden scissors when I see them. As with any predatory insect, each individual gardener must make their choices based on their goals for their garden's ecosystem. One of my goals as a gardener is to be welcoming to bees and other pollinators. While assassin bugs and other predatory insects generally are welcome in my garden, I don't tolerate the presence of bee assassin bugs and wouldn't tolerate the ambush bugs either. While both will feed on other insects and not solely on bees, I like having the bees in the garden so tend to kill pests that prey on them. There is no pesticide you could use to kill the ambush bugs that would not harm other desirable insects including the bees.

This bug was found on some india mustard that has gone to seed, I debated about just leaving it in the ground (as a place for the bugs to chomp) in hopes of them leaving the rest of my garden alone. Is there anything sound in that logic? Does this actually work or just invite more to come? Then just next door is some corn that is slow in developing with some strange long, narrow bodied brown bug with a smooth surface and no noticeable markings. They are paired up, which can never be a good thing if they are bad bugs (mating). They where very fast and I could not get a photo of them. UGH...here we go again here in LOVELY HOT HUMID GEORGIA, the bug fest is ON....I have to find a way to keep them OFF my plants. It's just so frustrating to spend so much time and effort not to mention money only to find some new freaking bug has eaten everything. thanks for responding!!!

Mealy. Dip a Q-tip in rubbing alcohol and remove it. The critter will turn orange/red. You can also remove with a toothpick or whatever. Treat the plant with a spray of 50/50 rubbing alcohol/water. Keep it out of the sun when you do this. A few days later you may need to treat again. If you catch them early - like just one or two - and treat you can control them rather well. Ants like to move them from plant to plant, so check out your others for them and treat accordingly. For a big infestation you may need a systemic, like diluted Bayer. Tis the season, Britni! I am doing my annual battle with mealies and aphids. I really should start using a systemic drench preventatively! On the up side, I found some lady bugs on the plants on my lanai today. The bad news is I must have something for them to eat!

I'm not 100 percent sure, but that looks like it could be a young assassin bug, which are predatory and beneficial insects. I get a species that looks just like that all over a couple of my plants here in Florida, and they love eating any aphids, and a lot of times i also find them eating those blasted love bugs that are everywhere. Look at it's mouthparts. Does it have a spear-looking probiscus folded down along its body, not unlike a cicada's? Here's a species that i commonly see; I think there are similar looking ones: https://www.whatsthatbug.com/2009/05/11/milkweed-assassin-bug-nymph-3/