skip to main content

Texas Gardening

Stink bug vs. Assassin bug

11 years ago

Does anyone know how to easily differentiate between the elongated stink bugs varieties and the assassin bug varieties? From my research on the web it seems like there are 100s of different varieties.
Also does anyone know of a successful organic method to get rid of the stink bug?
Every evening I have at least a half dozen of these bugs on my tomatoes sucking the life out of them.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (4)

LunaNegra
11 years ago
Hi there
We had such a problem with stink bugs. I found one "huge"stink bug in my tomatoes and I killed it but then my sister in law an I wonder if it was a stink bug or an assassin bug :-( only difference was in size. Had the marble back like the pests that have been poking our tomatoes. Organiide worked well. We learned too to plant closer by sergom(?) and all the bad bugs goes to that plant then u spray it and not spray the veggies.
0
daninthedirt (USDA 9a, HZ9, CentTX, Sunset z30, Cfa)
11 years ago
http://bigthicketcritters.com/StinkAssasBug.html

Enjoy.

I've heard that diatomaceous Earth works well. There is this awesome technique (which I have not yet tried, but is being promoted by a garden expert), where you moisten the plants (maybe mist them?), and then blow a small pile of the DE at the plants with a leaf blower. The DE coats the plants uniformly. For my scale, I figure a handful of DE held in front of a vent line from a shop vac will work. I'm looking forward to trying this next year.
Related Discussions
How do I tell a good stink bug from a bad one?
Q
Comments (5)
Here's some good info: http://pmtp.wsu.edu/BMSB.html#brown_SB Yes, the serrated shoulders indicate one of the "good" stink bug species at least in the Pacific Northwest. They also supposedly have less distinct banding of the antennae and less distinct checker-boarding of the abdomen edges. The native species are only considered pests in that they may annoy you by getting into your house in the winter, otherwise they are no problem. The new Brown Marmorated Stink Bug is 10 times worse in that respect, and it loves my thornless blackberries too. Note the serrated shoulders (right behind the eyeballs) on these fine fellows: http://bugguide.net/node/view/348093 http://bugguide.net/node/view/284507 I would happily share my house with these guys than share my blackberry patch the BMSB.
...See More
Are these nymphs assassin bugs?
Q
Comments (11)
Actually, I believe you killed off a bunch of assassin bugs. If you look at the photo I linked, not only can you see that it's the same bug, you can see him eating his prey. The proboscis is folded back on most of the bugs in the pictures you posted, but in the second picture you can see it on the bug the flower on the left. You can see the "leaf" on the rear leg even on the nymphs on leaf footed bugs, as shown here.
...See More
Cheaper, effective killer for stink bugs?
Q
Comments (5)
Jean, I am almost certain that insecticidal soap will not work because I even tried hornet and wasp spray (the one that kills on contact) and it did nothing. That stuff is much stronger than insecticidal soap! I don't think I can vacuum them because I doubt my dad will let me use any of his shop vacs for that and also, it will make the house stink like stinkbugs whenever I use the shop vac in the house from then on, even after emptying it. I read an article where vacuuming them was mentioned and it wasn't suggested for that very reason. Agardenstateofmind, my killing every one of them I can get to outside may not make much of a dent but it does make me feel better! Too bad people won't organize a stinkbug killing program and maybe we'd be less one invasive pest. Maybe I can try using a grill lighter to kill them in a safe and controlled way. It isn't "nice" but I care more about my native species and environment than I do for this alien species.
...See More
assassin bug beneficial on tomato?
Q
Comments (3)
Assassin bugs look alot like leaf footed bugs in their early stages. In fact they are very closely related. Leaf footed bugs suck the juices out of tomatoes leaving them marbled looking and suseptable to bacterial infections. You must destinguish because leaf footed bugs can devistate your crop yield (I know from experience). The leaf footed bugs are generally found on the tomatoes, although you can also find them on the leaves. When they become adults, their black feet are enlarged at the base making it look like a black leaf (hence the name). Once they become adults they reproduce like bunnies and are very hard to control. Honestly, they are worst than hornworms. Good luck.
...See More
Related Professionals
Milwaukee Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · New Mexico Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Boca Raton Landscape Contractors · Commack Landscape Contractors · Hayward Landscape Contractors · Lake Saint Louis Landscape Contractors · Little Ferry Landscape Contractors · Maywood Landscape Contractors · Oxnard Landscape Contractors · Antioch Landscape Contractors · Vadnais Heights Landscape Contractors · Palos Heights Landscape Contractors · Fishers Window Contractors · Lauderhill Window Contractors · Winnetka Window Contractors
gymgirl2
11 years ago
You can differentiate between the Stinkbug nymphs and the Assassin Bug nymphs by the tail end. I have a little blurb that helps me: "Bad Black Bump" which is what the Stinkbug nymphs sport on their butt tips when they are smallish and congregating like little orange ants with long black legs.

The clue is "congregate". Stinkbugs are groupies, and usually appear as a whole mass of them together, usually on top of your best tomato...

Assassin Bugs, true to their name, are singular and solitary. You will usually encounter them one at a time, or, in my case, if you have a "herd" of them in your milkweed, you will see them down there with adequate space between themselves, and being rather territorial...

I consider my "herd" of Assassins to be Allies. They patrol the grass and milkweed and keep EVERYTHING from crawling up to my veggie plants. The downside is that they are afraid of nothing, and will kill EVERYTHING in their path, so this means they do take out some of your beneficial bugs (bennies) as well. However, it's a trade-off, 'cause the bennies might relocate to the other side of your yard and be very safe and happy...

Linda
copingwithclay
11 years ago
When visiting the pomegranates, I look for a 'herd' of small, orange leaf-footed hopper babies all clustered together on one fruit. I soak them down with Windex using the misting setting on a 1 quart spray bottle. They all die in seconds. I can use a second quart spray bottle filled with water to rinse off the Windex. When I see the mid-sized or large leaf-footed hoppers on the fruit, I use the same Windex but with the squirt setting so as to hit them from a distance before they take off. The older bugs die slower than the orange babies after they get saturated with the Windex.

Related Stories

GARDENING GUIDES Sand Wasps Keep True Bugs in Check and Help Pollinate Summer Flowers

By Pollination Press LLC

Look for these solitary wasps nesting in sandy sites and foraging on flowers in July and August

GARDENING AND LANDSCAPING Porch Life: Banish the Bugs

By Becky Harris

Don't let insects be the bane of your sweet tea and swing time. These screening and product ideas will help keep bugs at bay on the porch

Insects for Your Interiors

By Erin Lang Norris

Bring the Outdoors Inside with Surprisingly Beautiful Bug Decor

GARDENING GUIDES Organic Matters: Thwart Insect Pests With Trap Crops

By Therese Ciesinski

Add a few sacrificial plants to your garden to lure insects away from the harvest

GARDENING GUIDES Great Design Plant: Carex Sprengelii

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

Fit for nearly any site, Sprengel’s sedge makes for a low-care, healthy garden

LIFE Reluctant DIYer’s Diary of a Dresser Makeover

By Becky Harris

Weekend project: Glossy new black-and-white dresser, hold the sandpaper

HOUSEKEEPING 20 Things You Might Be Forgetting to Spring-Clean

By Laura Gaskill

Clean these often-neglected areas and your house will look and feel better

GARDENING AND LANDSCAPING 11 Ways to Make Your Sleeping Porch Even Better

By Becky Harris

Turn off that air conditioner and tune in to the delights of slumbering in the nighttime breeze

HOUSEPLANTS Indoor Winter Gardens for Cheerier Days

By Laura Gaskill

Bring plants inside for drab-days mood boosting — not to mention cleaner indoor air and protection for your greenery

GARDENING GUIDES We Bust 4 More Native Plant Myths

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

Have you been taken in by these fallacies about gardening with native plants?

Sponsored

Grow Landscapes

8 Reviews

Planning Your Outdoor Space in Loundon County?

More Discussions

Gonna stretch my legs and see Corpus

0

What Are These Red 'Berries' Under Oak Trees in Fall?

1