Controlling Harlequin bugs or Stink bugs
POW had a stall at the Hobson Bay Eco-Expo on Saturday. A number of people asked the question “How can I control Harlequin or Stink bugs?”. The Harlequin bug is a garden pest that attacks a wide range of crop and ornamental plants, such as cotton, pome fruits, stone fruits, fig, grape, kurrajong, strawberry, vegetables, wisteria, dahlia and violet. When they are present in large numbers their feeding makes growing tips wilt or spoils fruit. Sometimes the bugs swarm on tree stumps and fences, and they may come into sheds and houses in large numbers. They are sometimes referred to as ‘Stink Beetles’ due to the odour they give of when disturbed.
Suggested natural solutions are:
From Gardening Australia: mix of water with a few drops of dish liquid & either garlic oil or minced garlic. Shake really well & spray them till saturated & they will drop off plants fences etc.
Ensure that you do not have areas of overgrown weeds or really long grass as this is where they love to inhabit. They don’t like regularly turned soil areas.
When I was mowing recently the mower had to go under the mix of citrus trees (I have a lemon, and orange and a cumquat together) as the mower handle went under the lemon tree I noticed at least 3 brown but flat looking (what I’d call typical Harlequin Bugs) soon after that I noticed a yellow non sticky stain in the crook of my arm which I attempted to wash off, but still became VERY itchy and raised in the centre.
I have never read anywhere about whether these insects protect themselves by squirting anything but it is the only thing I can think of that would have done this.
A week later I have still have a scab over all of the 10 cent sized area. To get it to calm down I put several lashings of calamine lotion over the area and also a large bandaid because I thought I would scratch it during the night. So would it have been one of these beetles or something else?