Sorry to prolong discussion of a non-bird topic ? delete now if you?re not
interested!
I had been wondering what these bugs were as I had not seen any public email
naming them, so good that you forwarded Elizabeth?s email, Bruce. I still
wanted to know more about these Bronze Orange Bugs, particularly whether they
are native, so I did a bit of ?googling? and it seems they are a species of
stink bug native to eastern Australia. The following links provide some info
on the species:
http://www.brisbaneinsects.com/brisbane_stinkbugs/BronzeOrangeBugs.htm
http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/abrs/fauna/details.pl?pstrVol=PENTATOMOMORPHA;pstrTaxa=4026;pstrChecklistMode=2
Personally, I would NOT use a chemical like Confidor which kills bees and
should not be allowed to enter drains and waterways (presumably because it is
toxic to fish). See
http://www.yates.com.au/products/pest-control/insects-concentrates/bayer-confidor-garden-insecticide-sachets/
I find that spraying soapy water and garlic is often sufficient, but Pyrethrum
or white oil work very well for pretty much any plant-sucking bug, and are much
more environmentally friendly than using chemicals. The following links offer
eco-friendly solutions for Bronze Orange Bugs:
http://www.greenharvest.com.au/pestcontrol/bronze_orange_bug_intro.html
http://www.safersolutions.org.au/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=254&Itemid=171
(although I?m not sure I?d recommend vacuuming if you value your vacuum!)
Regards
Frank Antram
-----Original message-----
From: "Bruce Lindenmayer"
Date: Thu, 01 Jan 2009 22:07:32 +1100
To: "'Canberra Birds'"
Subject: Fw: [canberrabirds] SHIELD BUGS ON LEMON TREE
> Hi All,
> Elizabeth Compston asked me to copy her message on the chat line.
> Elizabeth & Bill lent me their kit - just in time as the orange bugs were
> rapidly turning into black adults and the damage was quite apparent. I've
> knocked off >90% but will try again on Saturday. Again many thanks everyone
> who commented.
> Cheers,
> Bruce.
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