I have been pretty pleasantly surprised at the lack of stink bugs in the garden this year so far. I attributed it that to the unusual cold weather we've had this spring and the rain. I decided to take my daily walk around the garden and check on the progress the plants have made. the squash, zucchini, and cucumbers are starting their first blooms. But then.....I looked and beheld the enemy!
For your benefit only did I take pictures first and smash later. The biggest pest I have encountered in my garden in the last 4 years are these critters, the stink bug. Actually the top one is called a Leaf Footed Bug (Leptoglossus phyllopus) the bottom one may be a not quite mature LFB or another species, still within the same family. They are both stink bugs (and yes they stink when you smash them). They have piercing mouth parts, which means they poke your fruits (I've had the most issue with tomatoes and corn) and suck out the juice and leave a pithy white hard spot where they've eaten. The damage is ugly and it reduces the palate-ability, juiciness, and flavor of the fruit, though it is harmless to consume where they have eaten, it just makes me sad :-(
The juveniles are red and black and can't fly yet, so smash them the moment you see them because they are much harder to control once they are adults and can fly!
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