Anyone else got these bugs swarming everywhere?

[avsky]

Does anyone know what these beetles are? Never seen them before, but this year they have been swarming by the hundreds, probably thousands to mate. Especially noticeable flying around in the rays of the morning sun, during the day they seem to hide on the shadowy sides of trees and crawl indoors to hide from the sun.

 

They're literally EVERYWHERE, clumped together. Found a few on my plant but they seem to have no interest in eating it, thankfully!

 

Edit: Nevermind, I found them. I should have googled first They're called 'Plague Soldier Beetles' aka Chauliognathus lugubris.

Edited February 2, 2013 by avsky

[MongyMan]

Ive always called them stink beetles...was what i was told as a kid they were...they wont affect your plants from my exp.

 

Mongyman

[Cerberus]

Ive always called them stink beetles...was what i was told as a kid they were...they wont affect your plants from my exp.

 

Mongyman

 

LMAO, same here. We called them Stink bugs too

 

Dunno how accurate that is cos I never got that close to 'em but If I remember correctly, the last time I saw them was on some sort of tree with fruit although I'm quite sure that that is wasn't a fruit for human consumption. Just one of those trees in someone's backyard.

 

Then there was the day when I was 12 and I found a similar bug under the topping of a frozen microwave McCains Pizza.

 

That was the last day I ate McCains.

[VOSTOK]

Still a good time to start spraying the plants with NEEM OIL as summer is slowly coming to an end and insects are in full annoyance mode

[avsky]

Good point! I've been using a homemade bug spray "muerte caliente" (spicy death) which is basically garlic, chillies, bit of oil and a few drops of detergent, but the only bugs I've had are those annoying little white leaf hoppers. And maybe I'm getting them mixed up but we always called Harlequin bugs stink bugs here!

[MongyMan]

Once plants start to make resin I don't spray anything unless its unavoidable. I rather smoke buds free of residuals left over from sprays of any kind, organic or not.

 

MongyMan

[VOSTOK]

Good point! I've been using a homemade bug spray "muerte caliente" (spicy death) which is basically garlic, chillies, bit of oil and a few drops of detergent, but the only bugs I've had are those annoying little white leaf hoppers. And maybe I'm getting them mixed up but we always called Harlequin bugs stink bugs here!

 

Any Chillies, Garlic or anything edible goes to my LUNCH!!!

...Neem Oil on the other hand ...er... is an acquired taste, but has faded by week 2, problem with Neen it takes 2-3 days for the oil to kick in, something quicker in organics is needed

[Syb3 rm3nt41_%20]

Yeah, I was told they were stinkbuds when i was just a wee lad ... not too many sleepless moons ago ...

 

peace n pot,

[skeletor]

they won't affect cannabis, but they destroy tomatoes at this time of the year. they look very similar to the dindymus versicolour, the worst cretin to have in your garden in victoria. they've completely sucked the life out of a few of my tomato plants.

 

http://gippslandgardener.wordpress.com/2012/01/19/the-dreaded-dindymus-versicolour/

[Bobito_Pepperoni]

 

Ah yes the stink beetles!

 

Up there with the rhinoceros beetles!

 

Fond childhood memories come flooding back.

Edited July 31, 2014 by Bobito_Pepperoni