What is this bug?

[tile]

I've noticed this bug in the garden lately and I do not know what it is and it doesn't seem to be affected by the sprays I have used. Anyone know what it is and how I might get rid of it if indeed it is a bad bug. I assume it is bad becasue there are alot of them.

Thanks

 

[Dozernut]

1 & 3 are Assassin Bugs I believe. #1 resembles a Milkweed Assassin Bug (not 100% sure on that ID). #2 I am not sure what it is but appears to be a Weevil.

 

[tile]

Any suggestion on the best way to get rid of these bugs?

 

[Mickey_Fx]

Asked a sim question on another forum a couple days ago. Your pics looks close to mine except color markings are a little different. The ones I was interesting were box elder bugs. You see them in the fall on the side of buildings on sunny days.

 

[tile]

OK I was reading on the assassin bug and is it correct that I do not want to get rid of them?

 

[tile]

They are not near the house and have been in the garden for the better part of the summer. I do not like these bugs as there are a lot of them. I have used neem and sevin dust in the garden which does not seem to affect these bugs. If they are beneficial then I should probably work on removing the food source so they will not be attracted to my garden.

 

[MossRoad]

Do they hurt anything or eat your plants? If not, they are probably eating other bugs. If that is the case, leave them alone and count your blessings.

 

[tile]

I lost most of my tomatoes over the summer. It seemed as soon as they started to turn red these bugs would swarm on them and the tomatoes would rot and otherwise be useless. I checked on my squash that is out there now and it has been infested with bugs and the 2 or 3 fruits are now rotted and otherwise unusable. I never would have thought they were beneficial. I have used neem and sevin dust in the garden yet these few bugs do not seem to be affected.

 

[hockeypuck]

That looks like a "stink" bug. If you squish it, it will have a bitter/sweet smell. Once you smell it, you will never forget it.

 

[Tororider]

Its hard to tell by the pictures, how big are these bugs?

I had a problem with aphids this year, they sucked the juice out of the cambium of the tree and the excess that they couldn't eat they kind of sprayed around, brought around more bees and stuff like that. For aphids you are supposed to use a hose and just spray them off, it lets their predators see them and eat them.

Sorry about losing your garden crops, thats a bummer.

 

[orezok]

If they are assassin bugs, they are also comonly called kissing bugs. If they get into your house, they are attracted to carbon dioxide you exhale and will bite on the lips. They carry Chagas disease which is not a good thing to have. I would consult with an exterminator.

 

[BamaRob]

Yep, first and third pictures are of assassin bugs (with a juvenile and adult in the third picture).

BugGuide.Net

 

[Dozernut]

It is true that Kissing Bugs are Assassin Bugs. However there are around 3,000 known species of Assassin Bugs with only 12 of these being of the Kissing Bug strain. Most Assassin Bugs are beneficial but will bite if handled. As to the original poster I would be looking for the food source of the Assassin Bug, Aphids, Weevils and various other insects. FWIW the Boll Weevil has cost the Cotton Industry billions of dollars. It migrated from Mexico in 1892 and is here to stay.

 

[Wayne County Hose]

Contact the Florida masters gardners program. I think they are part of the cooperative extension. They will have any info you need.

 

[tile]

I have emailed my county extension and I just received a reply from them. I have posted the reply at the bottom of this post. I think it will take a bit to figure out exactly what is going on with my garden. You guys are a great help, just want to say thanks.

Dozernut, you might be right about the food source for the assassin bug. They are here for a reason and we know there was a weevil.

REPLY FROM COUNTY EXT.

It does indeed look like and assasin bug and it's nymph. They attack caterpillars and
flies mostly. Have your leaves been getting chewed? I would suspect that the assasin bugs
are probably not up to the task of handling some caterpiller or worm or grasshopper that
is having its way with your patch.

Do you have any BT? It stants for bacillus thurinnngiensis and it is good on
caterpillars. It is sold as Dipel, Javelin or Thuricide.

END OF REPLY

 

[jonbravado]

be careful, some assassin bug's bite is really nasty. hurts like ****.

but they will keep the catapillars down- it's a tough call, just don't let em bite you.

J

 

[ScottOkla]

Assassin bugs are great for pecan growers. They seem to show up in good numbers when there are high populations of pests.