It's definitely the bean beetle. This one above has more spots, but after seeing one spot turn to two, it might just be they get older and they get more spots. I've also gone at it with the squash bugs and they are a type of stink bug, they are armored and fairly large. I have only once seen a squash bug fly, didn't know they had wings, but I searched every squash bug, stink bug, I could find, so I am aware of the stink bug you are referring only by picture, none found in the yard yet. I didn't take a picture because I am fairly sure it's the been beetle, just don't know why they are dive bombing my tomatoes. Do they like cannas, lilies, or elephant ears? I hope not, the only bean I planted was nubbed down by a goold ole' rabbit/mole/deer/groundhog/squirrel. I have to say the rabbits are hiding better this year, unlike the groundhog and the squirrel. Well, anyways I found my culprit, it's definitely a red bean beetle, now just to find out what he's eating. I hope not my castor bean plant, isn't it poisonous to bugs too? They are only flying around the tomatoes and those flowers I mentioned above, plus the honeysuckle bush.

Tim--I'm near Cabot AR. Back in April Sue Nuffer at Armisted Farm north of Morrilton called to ask me if Potato beetles were attacking my tomato seedlings. I had a thousand tomatoes in the ground but no beetles. The Nuffers were getting eaten up. We haven't had potato beetles in 15 years. Two weeks ago I noticed them all over my potatoes and now they are out in the tomato field for the first time. I think this is an infestation that is all over Arkansas and probably other states as well.

Blackbird squabbles bothered me, with one pair attacking another pair's baby, etc. Plus they would try to roost on my house. And peck at all my growing things. So, since I have soil with plenty of small rocks I started waving my arms and then throwing rocks NEAR them, not at them. After a few days they learned that arm-waving precedes the rocks, and they would fly away. Next I would slam a door or sliding window before going outside to waive my arms. Persistence paid off and from then on the blackbirds were deterred from spending much time at my place just by slamming a window or door. The next year they only needed a few days of re-training. My neighbors down the street often have fifty blackbirds on their property. I seldom have any.

There were over 100 dead birds that dropped over in Geyserville, CA off the 1010 Freeway this past Saturday. There were also a rather large number of Rooks and Choughs over in Sweden that died.....not to mention the birds in Arkansas, Kentucky, Italy and the fish, crabs, etc. in various places around the world. All in clusters, all falling on or near or within two weeks of, the New Year. Scientists are saying that mass die-offs are very common in birds, especially in winter....as for the fish and sea-creatures, they're saying red tides are on the increase in those areas. So this is hard to pin point....and don't get me started on the conspiracy theorists....egads. Thank GOD He is Sovereign over *all* of it. (Colossians 1: 19-20)