First stink beetle was seen on my cumquat yesterday. Check your
citrus trees now. Last year, or the beginning of this year, Frank
Antram wrote
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!)"
Our trees were absolutely infested. My hands turned brown, picking
them off and the brown did not disappear until new skin grew. Awful!!
We had to use Confidor. So, get in early with your trees
Elizabeth
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