If you'd include your location or at least your garden zone it would help as many pests are strictly regional and most live in cycles that are tied to climate. Also any other info you can provide. For example it is apparently one of the species called leaf-footed bugs but there are hundreds of them. The Family Coreidae has over 1800 members. The group includes common boxelder bugs and squash bugs, but in most parts of the country it is far too early for them to have emerged. Dave Here is a link that might be useful: Coreidae bug images

lettucebabies, you have not killed any of the plants...yet. Here are my thoughts. Lettuce: the seedlings appear to want more light. They seem to be growing towards the right and front of the container. You can rotate the container or expose the whole (gradually!) to more hours of sunlight. The watering seems to be OK because of the color of the soil surface and there is no evidence of water collecting in the saucer. The seedling at 'one o'clock' appears to be suffering most. The one at 'five o'clock' might be a different variety from the rest and may be the type most suited to the conditions that you provide. Incidentally, there is a fungus (damping off) which attacks seedlings at the soil line. One way to protect the seedlings is to sprinkle a thin layer of sand over the soil surface right up to the stem of the seedling. This keeps the stem dry. You might try that now as a precaution. Lettuce is a 'leaf crop' (the leaves are useful) and a 'short crop' (30 days or less to maturity). Therefore nitrogen is the most important element. One choice is to apply a slow release all purpose fertilizer at transplant time or else apply a liquid fertilizer at weekly intervals. I favor "Osmocote" 14-14-14 at transplant time. Zucchinni: There is nothing noticeably wrong here. The 'seedleaves' have brown edges but this is normal. Their function is to provide nourishment until the true leaves begin to function; they then wither away. The true leaves are well-formed, nicely green and the youngest ones are 'clean and green'. The dark coloring of the soil around the plant indicates that watering is concentrated in this area. I would suggest that the watering be spread more evenly over the whole surface of the container. It makes for 'better use of the water used'. Basil: The only explanation I can think of is "sunburn". Is it possible that the plants were exposed to bright direct sunlight for even a short time? This can happen on the trip from the nursery. The plants are put on the floor of the back seat in full shade. But during the journey home they get some exposure which can be enough to cause sunburn. Although its leaves are the useful product, this is not a leaf crop; treat it like a tomato or pepper seedling as far as watering and fertilizing are concerned. The holes on the leaves are caused by insects, typically beetles. The leaves develop their fullest flavor when grown in full sun and not over-watered. The "Earthbox": In my opinion the symptoms on the plants are an indication of conditions in the box itself - set up and operation. It can sometimes be difficult to get the fertilizer spread according to the instructions; it can also take some time before the water distribution functions properly. Sometimes top watering is necessary. The very sick seedling nearest the watering tube might be suffering from moisture stress or fertilizer burn or both. The seedling next in line appears normal and healthy (just look at that growing center). Then the third in line looks wilted. Only you can know if the fertilizer was applied in the narrow band down the middle of the box and whether the soil mix was put in to promote even watering from the reservoir and if the refilling has been adequate and timely. But in time the system settles down to a routine of adding water to the reservoir and keeping a sharp look out for pests. You should get a very good crop of beans; indeed I think that you will have to remove every other plant in order to obtain quality beans. But time will tell you if that will be necessary. I only wish that my first attempt at growing black-eye peas was that successful; I over watered the container and earned an "F" in Gardening. Will you please tell Mr. Griffith how far I have come? That is, if you yourself think so.

I'm in North Carolina and they are a horrible problem here. I have a couple of thoughts. I have had the time to kill thousands of them a week and I 'hope' that is doing some good. No one has mentioned that the way to do this is to have them fall into mildly soapy water. Their defense mechanism is to fall away from harm. I put one drop of detergent in a sauce pan of water and while it is still cool weather (they fly away when hot), place the pot below a clump of beetles and place my hand above them. The shadow or the hand or physical contact, scares them and they tumble off the leaf/leaves and fall into the pot. They drown after 15 minutes. It appears that one beetle draws others, creating the clumping. This probably explains the changing variety of plants eaten. Roses always seem to be a favorite, but depending what else happens to be growing the best at the moment will be attacked. I believe the best thing to do with traps is to convince ALL of your neighbors to use them and draw them away from YOUR garden, heh heh.

I think it was in either 10 or 11 that I bought 9 Japanese beetle traps right before we took a week's vacation to California. When we returned they were all full, each holding almost a gallon of beetles. I learned that we had lured beetles from a mile's radius all around us. But that was OK because we live surrounded by almost 100 acres of pasture land and that's where they like to lay their egg. And there is no way to treat that much ground. The next year I was able to buy just the replacement lures. I cut part of the top off a milk jug, leaving the handle and part of the threads. I carefully threaded the bait into the jug with two fingers and pressed the sticky tape against the wall of the jug. You have to open the jug enough to get your fingers into it, but not enough so the beetles can get back out. (They don't usually try to come UP once they are down.) I poked a couple small holes in the bottom for drainage in case rainwater got in and hung the traps on fences and from low tree branches. They worked very well. You can also buy Japanese beetle traps at farm supply stores. Atwoods may have them. We still have beetles, but not nearly as many as in years past. I hung one trap this year and it is less than 1/2 full. We have also handpicked a couple hundred, throwing them into soapy water. BUT if what you have is actually Green June Beetles, the traps may not work anyway. (June beetles are twice the size of Japanese beetles and all green where Japanese beetles are green and bronze.) We have them (June beetles) as we always have had, but not in any large number.