Saturday, June 25, 2011

Guest pest: BMSB


No, it isn't a jam band or a bowel disorder, it's the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug. This smelly, crunchy devil is causing quite the stir and stench among farmers, homeowners, and agricultural agencies.

Quite seriously, though, the BMSB has the potential to be a tremendous nuisance to farmers and gardeners. So far it has been identified in 30+ states.


Name:
Brown Marmorated Stink Bug
(photo courtesy of rutgers.edu)

Occupation:
Eating...everything...particularly vegetable crops such as corn and beans and orchard fruits. The nymphs or young bugs feed shallowly on leaves and such, while the adults may burrow deep to feed into fruits such as apples or grapes. During winter months, they can invade homes in search of shelter.

Management: Floating row covers are the best defense against this scary chomper which is immune to many pesticides. Hand picking bugs into a container of soapy solution is effective for controlling the bugs on a small scale. Some websites recommend sucking 'em up with a vacuum...then what? I find that knocking bad bugs and beetles to the ground and crunching them between two rocks is also a good way to guarantee mortality...just be sure to hold your nose.

Color they turn your fingers when squished:
Hmm...not sure about the color, but pretty sure you don't want lingering stink bug stench (which has been likened to antifreeze) on your fingers.

Good bug or bad bug: So bad I can't sleep at night thinking about how bad they are. HOWEVER there are some stink bugs that are beneficial predators. When in doubt, capture the thing and bring it to your local bug nerd or agricultural agency.

Identifying the BMSB can be a bit tricky, here is an great site with extended information and photos. Fortunately, I have not encountered any on the farm, but I am keeping my eyes and nose open.

Friday, June 24, 2011

Cucumber beetles can't swim




The jerk is clinging to a flea beetle-bitten leaf of arugula for his dear life. Alas, he cannot swim.

I am looking forward to listening to Charlie Nardozzi's program on VPR this evening/tomorrow morning!

Check it out.

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Nuke the cuke beetles


Name: Striped cucumber beetle

Occupation: Feeding on the flowers, leaves and fruit of curcurbits (cucumbers, melons, summer squash).
These are tiny, active beetles with voracious appetites for tender precious summer produce. Beyond their insatiable appetites for ruining our dinner, these dirty insect vermin spread a nasty disease called bacterial wilt.

Prevention/Management: For organic or conscientious growers, Pyganic is a somewhat effective insecticide I have mentioned before. The farmer I work for swears by this "knock down" spray (meaning it kills the buggers on contact). It is derived from chrysanthemums and is non-toxic to humans. However, as is th
e case with many pesticides, insects may become resistant to the effects of the spray over time.

Pictured are the very carefully tended and trellised greenhouse cucumbers on the farm. Keeping plants off the ground helps prevent disease and makes it easier to squish the beetles.


Color they turn your fingers when you squish them:
Yellowish, when they are full of eggs. One of the more enjoyable beetles to smash because of their small size and colorful entrails. Also, spotted cucumber beetle larvae can damage plant roots, which adds to the satisfaction of taking their lives.

Good beetle or bad beetle: What do you think?

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Chew on my nutsedge rose chafer


The rose chafer is a bold beetle and nutsedge an even bolder invasive weed that resembles grass. If only we could train the chafer to nibble the nutsedge...

Name: Rose chafer

Occupation: This beetle is a general feeder, which means it will eat most anything. However, it has a preference for grapes, fruit blossoms, and roses, hence its disarmingly lovely name (the first part of it anyway).

Prevention: To be researched

Finger squishing color:
It's not very juicy, so just kind of brownish

Good beetle or bad beetle:
Bad bad very bad

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Tribute to the golden ground beetle



I spotted two live golden ground beetles and two deceased in the greenhouse today, so I thought a tribute profile would be appropriate.

A flightless beauty, this beetle distracts us with its iridescent ridged back and bright orange legs every time we happen upon one in the field.
I took the photo above early this morning in the greenhouse.

Name: Carabus Auratus, Golden Ground Beetle

Occupation: Feasting upon the flesh of other insects, worms, slugs and snails. They spray a digestive secretion on their prey before consuming, which they clutch in their formidable mandibles.

These beetles are native to Europe and have a life expectancy of up to two years.

Prevention: Not really a beetle you want to get rid of, because as a general rule predatory beetles are beneficial insects for the gardener and farmer. However, some may find its consumption of highly regarded earthworms disturbing. Consequently, I am recruiting the golden ground beetle to attend my upcoming "Become a Better Beetle" seminar, which includes a lecture on why slugs taste better than earthworms. Also in the lecture series: "Why Are You Dying and/or Why Won't You Die", targeted toward good and bad beetles alike.

Good beetle or bad beetle: GOOD (as long as you can disregard the whole eating earthworms thing)



Monday, June 13, 2011

Welcome!

Welcome to good beetle bad beetle, the blog where learning about farm and garden pests is super hip!

I work on a tiny farm in Vermont teeming with beetles. Some are good, some are bad. Is it that simple? I'd like to learn more about them and share my findings with the world...or just some nerdy farmsters.

Let's start with a wee beetle I love to hate.

Name:
Flea Beetle

Occupation: Decimating helpless seedlings, preferably of the brassica variety (kale, cabbage, broccoli, mustards etc.). However, these active pests do not discriminate and will munch upon the young growth of many crops, leaving tiny pinholes that will eventually make your plant leaves resemble lace doilies.

There are many species of flea beetles that specialize in destroying particular crops. The species I encounter the most is the shiny black beetle pictured above. So far this season they have taken a toll on braising mix, arugula and radishes.

Prevention: Tightly sealed row covers (without holes!) help keep these buggers at bay while seedlings are most fragile. Once some plants get past seedling stage they are less susceptible to damage from flea beetles. If you're into spraying stuff, Sevin is the conventional growers' choice. Organic growers can spray with Pyganic(more on this later), Surround, or Entrust, which I don't know a lot about (look for "good insecticide bad insecticide" the blog...coming soon?).

Color they turn your fingers when you squish them: I haven't been able to catch one of the jumpy bastards just yet. But when I do...

Good beetle or bad beetle: BAD