Tree Damage From Crop Spraying

[pdqdl]

Leaf footed bugs on Burmese Okra. Easy to control control them with diatomaceous earth using a Dustin Mizer hand powered duster.

Colorful little suckers. The pierce okra pods causing the pods curl.

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How would diatomaceous earth work? I'd think it would not remain where the bugs are spending their time on the plant. Unlike boric acid for cockroaches.

 

[pdqdl]

What is the taxonomy of this one? Related to the "Stink bugs", maybe cockroaches? Smelly by the looks of things?

Think a dormant oil would control it?

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I haven't studied the life cycle of the assassin bugs, but I'd guess that dormant oil is unlikely to affect them. It kinda depends upon where they lay their eggs for overwintering.

Besides! Why would you wish to control the assassin bugs? All they do is eat other bugs; they are good for your garden.

Click the links, man. I gave you the taxonomy.

 

[Del_]

How would diatomaceous earth work? I'd think it would not remain where the bugs are spending their time on the plant. Unlike boric acid for cockroaches.

There is no long term residual effect that I have noticed. DE sticks to the bugs when dusted and they fall off of the plant within an hour. DE acts like shards of glass and punctures the insect's exoskeleton at their joints. I don't believe they ingest any DE as LFB is a piercing/sucking insect. The piercing dehydrates the bugs is my understanding. It must be a miserable death. Sometimes I imagine their screams.


We keep our okra picked and the leaf footed bugs gather at the top on all of the okra pods. The DE is blown with the duster right on them and sticks to them. It's a very quick process taking only a minute or so to dust a 50ft. row. I only have to dust a few times per season, maybe four. I bought two 40lb bags of food grade DE a decade ago and stored it in 3 gallon food grade mayonnaise containers figuring the bags would degraded over time. I still have over half of it left. I eat a teaspoon myself every now and then. Taste like chalk.

I've had my Dustin Mizer for 35 years or so and the new models are identical.

https://durhammastergardeners.com/2015/06/25/whats-that-bug-leaf-footed-bugs-in-the-garden/

https://www.amazon.com/Dustin-Mizer-Lightweight-Garden-Dust-Applicator/dp/B002KIB680