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PostPosted: Fri Apr 06, 2012 6:50 pm 
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Hello,

I am very new to gardening. I planted some onions in and among my other plants to help with pests, but now my onions are covered in a red and black bug. I don't know what it is or how to get rid of it, but I think it is this: Metriorrhynchomiris dislocatus or *possibly* a red shouldered bug (box elder bug). What can I use to get rid of this bug or do I even need to? It's also on my other plants, but not in such high numbers.

Thanks so much!!
Megan


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PostPosted: Fri Apr 06, 2012 7:28 pm 
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too early for harliquen bugs.where are you?


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PostPosted: Fri Apr 06, 2012 8:01 pm 
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I'm in Texas with weeks now of temps in the 70's and 80's but the bugs I have don't have any spots. They are black down the center of them with red along the sides. Here is a link to the closest picture I can find to what they look like.

http://www.austinbug.com/survey/2011/pi ... etrior.jpg


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PostPosted: Fri Apr 06, 2012 9:03 pm 
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That link doesn't open for me, but I looked up the name. I have trouble with leaf legged bugs, a relative of the photo you found. You don't want to burn your tender plants so be careful with the orange oil and such. I'd knock them off with water and spray an orange oil mix around the base of the plants, or I'd do a foliar feeding and have a little orange oil in there along with the good stuff. Look in the library for formulas and times of day for that.

Actually, if you're made of stern stuff, just reach out and swat them or flick them hard with your hand. I usually wear gardening gloves for that. I have a couple of 1 gallon paint sticks from Home Depot that I use also - they get on plants like the jimson weed and I creep up with the sticks and with one above and one below, I pop them a quick one and they die. You don't want to smash your onions, but you might be able to flick them off, then treat the area around the onions. They're in that family of beetles like the stink bugs, so they have a kind of perfume smell when you swat them.

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PostPosted: Sun Apr 08, 2012 10:58 am 
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Thanks, I do swat them off. I get mad and bat at them but they just fly off and swarm around me or land on other plants :roll: They are COVERING my onions and they'll get onto any plants around them. I'll try orange oil or look in the library, but I'm tempted just to pull all my onions :(


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PostPosted: Sun Apr 08, 2012 1:57 pm 
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Is it this bug?

https://www.google.com/search?q=4-lined ... 80&bih=655

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PostPosted: Sun Apr 08, 2012 6:58 pm 
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No, that's not it. The body looks kinda similar I guess, but the coloring is very different. I'll try to post another link, hopefully this one will work.

https://www.google.com/search?tbm=isch& ... 0l0.frgbld.


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PostPosted: Wed Apr 11, 2012 1:32 pm 
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Well, they've killed all my onions and all the plants around them. They suck them dry and they just wilt over. The orange oil didn't even phase them. I pulled all the dead plants and I'm going to spray the remaining plants with Neem tonight and see if that does any good...


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PostPosted: Wed Apr 11, 2012 1:36 pm 
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Did you take any photos yourself? Do you have a digital camera, or can someone get a good phone photo for you to send? I want to know what it is and figure out how to clobber a bug that devours onions!

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PostPosted: Wed Apr 11, 2012 7:59 pm 
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yes, I want to clobber them too!! I'm really hoping the neem oil will work it's magic and I'll be rid of them. I'll let you know if it works :) If you really want to know what they are though, I'm almost positive they are this: Metriorrhynchomiris dislocatus If you just google that or google pictures of that you will see exactly what they look like.


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PostPosted: Thu Apr 12, 2012 12:24 am 
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Careful with the neem. Don't use it in bright sunshine during the heat of the day. And don't use it if the weather is going to get over 90.

I went into my garden today to check on things clobbered by cutworms. The worms I found had done a bit more damage, but between beneficial nematodes and BT, they were a lighter color and not moving much. Hopefully I've turned the tide on that damage.

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PostPosted: Fri Apr 13, 2012 8:07 am 
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Yes, I sprayed at dusk. We're getting cutworms too... I started using collars and so far it seems to be working.

I do have a question about the neem though. Without thinking, I sprayed my mint and now I'm nervous to make mint tea. I know you can spray neem up to the day of harvest, but does that include when you're eating the leaves themselves and not just say, peppers or tomatoes which you wouldn't have actually sprayed?


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PostPosted: Fri Apr 13, 2012 8:21 am 
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Good question. Neem is kind of sticky - I make sure even with the foliar feeding (that wouldn't include neem) that I don't spray the things I am going to use for making tea right before harvest. I would give it time to "wear off," and this weekend's forecast rain might be just the ticket.

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