Leaf Footed Bugs Mysteriously Disappeared

[karstopography]

I’ve been battling a building infestation of these pests on a few tomato plants, concentrated mainly on Sweet 100s, Sun Sugar, and Sun Gold, but with a scattering elsewhere on other tomato plants. I smash (the adults stink me up) them as I can get to them, but many evade the grab and smash. I haven’t applied any insecticides other than Monterrey Bt and Bt isn’t supposed to kill leaf footed bugs. Plus, last application of Bt was two or three weeks ago. However, suddenly, these stinky tomato destroying pests have largely departed. Like a town of hundreds suddenly goes to a deserted town of one or two stragglers, if even.

I’m not complaining about the bug’s departure, but more like trying to understand it. I did smash under my flip flop one particularily fierce adult leaf-footed bug the other day and now I think I killed their queen or something.

Carolina Wrens, Cardinals, Tufted Titmouse visit the garden from time to time in search of bugs. Are leaf-footed bugs on the menu? There’s another flying mysterious bug in the garden I have yet to identify, maybe there’s an airforce in the form of this yet to be identified bug that’s come to my aid.

[Amateurinawe]

Mmm , perhaps they were hot footed leaf bugs

[MissS]

I think that these are true bugs which only have one life cycle per season. So after maturing, mating and laying their eggs for next season they will die off for the year.

[karstopography]

Could be, but there were a lot of juveniles out there and they are also gone.

[GoDawgs]

Well, whatever the reason, congratulations! So far I've only noticed just one here and there this season. Some years there are tons, usually in the latter part of summer so I'm not out of the woods yet. But so far, so good. I'm real hesitant to make any other comment about the lack of this or that this year for fear of jinxing things!

On the other hand, the kudzu bugs have completely disappeared overnight but I have pyrethrin to thank for that.

[karstopography]

Yep, I’ll take some good luck. Strange, I haven’t seen any grasshoppers or true stink bugs on the vegetables either lately. Really, almost zero pests, it is very strange and very welcome. I’m on about 7 acres, the neighbors on either side are also on some land and don’t spray anything for insects and neither garden. The lake is a 100 plus meter buffer zone from the people across the lake and it is 300 meter to the road. I’ll have to rule out any insecticidal drift accounting for the disappearance of the pest. I certainly haven’t used anything but Monterrey Bt. It is as if the pests got wiped out, but by what agent, I know not.

The mosquitoes are a different story, those are out in force.

[Greenvillian]

Strange! I have hunted juvenile leaf footed bugs since end of May and have destroyed gobs. Now, the adult population is down, but I still find a few each day on my bug hunts. I've noticed way more kudzu bugs here this year. And of course, I have plenty of Japanese beetles which I ruthlessly hunt each day. Stinkbug populations do seem lower this year. Glad some of you are seeing a reduction!

[GoDawgs]

I haven't seen many stink bugs either this summer and after the first few Japanese beetles showed up and got squashed, I haven't seen any more. Strange. OK, I'm going to risk breaking the streak of good luck by saying I haven't had the first vine borer attack on any squash. Ever! That's truly amazing.

We had a very late freeze this spring on April 22. I'm just wondering if some insects were emerging and got blasted by it.

[karstopography]

I saw a pepper today with a cluster of maybe 20 very young leaf-footed bugs. One pepper and 20 leaf footed bugs got destroyed in my right hand. Had a large grasshopper on the peanuts, that one bit the dust. Bugs are back.