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Growing Tomatoes

Stinkbug Resistant Varieties?

15 years ago

This is the second year I've had terrible stinkbug damage. They hit every "Sweet Million" cherry tomato but didn't touch the Sungolds planted next to them. Are there other varieties that stinkbugs won't touch?

How dangerous is it to eat tomatoes with stinkbug damage? Do they inject some substance into the tomato?

Thanks,

seedbeads

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Comments (7)

carolyn137
15 years ago
I don't know of any varieties that they won't bite, given a chance.

It's not dangerous at all to eat them. They do inject a toxin that kills a bit of tomato tissue under the bite area but the toxin acts against tomato tissue, not human tissue.

I see them as causing cosmetic damage and that's all and I don't see them every year and have never sprayed or whatever to get rid of them.

Carolyn
digdirt2
15 years ago
I agree - they are opportunity oriented so will go after what ever brand is nearest them. ;) If the damage they do bothers you it can easily be peeled/cut off as it seldom goes more than a couple of mm into the tissue of the tomato.

Dave
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HoosierCheroKee
15 years ago
"(Stinkbugs) hit every Sweet Million cherry tomato but didn't touch the Sungolds planted next to them."

This is a very interesting observation. I've noticed stinkbugs favoring certain tomatoes ... Big Beef for instance ... but never noticed them avoiding any particular tomato.

I'd love to hear other growers' observations, especially whether they've noticed stinkbugs avoiding Sungold when it's planted next to a variety they have invaded.

Bill
carolyn137
15 years ago
I can say that the one year they were the worst that they preferred all my heart shaped varieties over most others, showing that they too have good taste, meaning the stinkbugs. LOL

And I don't think I've ever seen any damage on cherry tomatoes of any kind, to date.

Carolyn

Carolyn
bigdaddyj
15 years ago
Here is what I noticed over the years. Stinkbugs have NEVER gone near SunGold. Maybe there is something to that?

I notice they favor really bushy plants and they prefer tomatoes growing inside the canopy near the main stem where it's really shady and harder for birds to see or reach.

I had a bad problem with them years ago but have learned not to grow ornamental millet or cucumbers near my tomatoes anymore. That has helped. I hardly get any now. What I used to do is place cardboard or shingles loosely on the ground below the tomato plants. This works best right before a heavy rain. Early the next morning you lift up the cardboard and a bunch of them are ripe for annhilation...:)
buck1173
15 years ago
oh oh oh! I can add!

Yes indeed, the stinkbugs in my garden are not touching Sungold, but are dining on Jolly Cherry which is right next to Sungold.

They're also in my main bed and seem to stick mainly to Sweet Millions, Giant Valentine and CChoc. I have 2 GV's in my bed at opposite ends of the bed and they prefer that variety to the others.

Thanks for the info that eating a stink bug damaged fruit... I pulled a gorgeous tom last night and it had all the little patchy blotches on one side from the stupid stink bugs... I was really hoping I could just eat it anyhow...

I'm really hating these bugs.
digdirt2
15 years ago
or cucumbers near my tomatoes anymore

Now that is good to know. Quit growing cukes 4 or 5 years back due to the old digestive tract and that may go along way toward explaining the decrease in SB problems I've seen as the cukes were always right next to the tomatoes.

Thanks for passing that on BDJ.

Dave

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