Bugs that won't die!

[orezok]

Last week, I discovered that my broccoli was covered with the bug shown below. They are about a 1/4" long. I sprayed them with sevin and they seemed to go away. Today I discovered that there are dozens of them on the shade cloth (away from the garden). I sprayed them with sevin again and they seemed to like it! I sprayed them with Dragnet (Permethrin) and they seemed to get fat on it!

Any idea what it might be and what will kill it?

 

[orezok]

Here's a couple of more pictures.

 

[DocHeb]

Looks like a stinkbug in shape, so with a little Googlin' for "California Stink Bug Pictures" I came up with Bugrada Hilaris. Unfortunately it is a non-native species, so you won't find any specifics on its control, but general stinkbug control measures should work. You might kill some, but there are more flying in to take their place. Better use some barrier methods like row-cover cloth.

 

[ToadHill]

An effective way to kill most bugs is to spray them with dorment oil. Since they breathe through holes in their outer body ( I can't spell exoskeltin) the oil will plug the holes and suffocate them.

 

[MossRoad]

Looks like some sort of harlequin beetle. I have a great surefire tool for getting rid of them... size 13! :laughing:

 

[rekees4300]

Try some Dawn dish soap mixed with water. It works for Japanese Bean Beetles and they a tough dudes.

 

[randy41]

I agree with Moss. The best way to get rid of them is to go out early in the morning and pick them off and drop them into soapy water.

 

[orezok]

Thanks Chris and David. You guys nailed it. They are a new import to California from Africa and the extension services don't know much about them yet. I'll give the soap treatment a try and see how it goes.

Unfortunately, I leave for work at O-Dark-Thirty so picking bugs in the morning is out.

I suspect that my infestation came from eggs on seedling plants I bought that probably came from Orange County where they have made inroads. It's the second year in a row that I have had pest problems. Next year it's seeds only!

I'll try to stop them on my 26 acres before they spread any further.