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Bagrada Bug Invasion!
updated: Sep 25, 2012, 12:41 PM

By Edhat Subscriber

I first saw a couple of these small bagrada "stink bugs" a few days ago in my Goleta garden. I didn't recognize them- and now I know that's because they are a NEW invader from Africa!! I caught the 4-5 that I saw. Then i saw another one this morning...and another one...and another....upon closer inspection I found hundreds of them swarming around in the mulch and leaf litter in my garden....all sizes, including several mating pairs. Apparently they first showed up in SB a couple of weeks ago and are causing HAVOC to organic farms (including my small backyard garden). And I was just getting ready to plant my fall crop of kale and chard...which they apparently love....if I am freaking out, what must our local growers be doing? Nothing yet on the SB County ag website on control means, but I have been reading that it is going to be difficult.

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Comments in order of when they were received | (reverse order)

KIDS	2012-09-25 01:07 PM
There was a piece on this on KEYT this morning.
SEEDLADY	2012-09-25 01:08 PM
oh crap! you are right--agencies are not giving out much info but a pal who works for the SLOCO ag dept says this kind of 'invasion' never has much good news associated with it. I suspect the growers will be coming out with responses as they must move fast to protect crops. Let's hope for the best on this one.
COMMENT 323972	2012-09-25 01:12 PM
There is no organic control method. The bug has no predators (even birds won't eat them), and they reproduce in swarms. The only solution is to either forget about gardening this year, or buy some insecticide.
SEEDLADY	2012-09-25 01:19 PM
Here are some tactics (note not 'controls') http://gardenstotables.com/gardening-tips/fruits-a-vegetables/188-battling-the-badraga-bug predatory wasps prey on them so encourage the tiny wasps by growing non-target nectar species to draw the wasps. frequent shallow cultivation helps as they lay eggs in the soil. They have been in SOCAL for a couple of years. let's keep updating this topic here on edhat. Row crops on the central coast would be a good breeding grounds for them.
COMMENT 323983	2012-09-25 01:22 PM
Build a greenhouse and make sure they don't get in.
COMMENT 323984	2012-09-25 01:22 PM
Canyon Lizards eat them.
COMMENT 323998	2012-09-25 01:42 PM
omg I just spent the last two weeks fighting these guys. They fully attacked my kale plants but left my chard untouched (apparently they are only into the cabbage family- broccoli etc). After a few unsuccessful attempts at eradication (fermented plant extracts, water) I just started squishing every one I saw. After three days of this- they all disappeared. I heard that some bugs can omit an odor when they die and it detracts the living ones from staying around. Not sure if it's true but it definitely worked for me. I haven't seen one since a few days ago and my kale is already coming back. Good luck!
SEEDLADY	2012-09-25 01:57 PM
(984: have you seen this happen? ) good news. My friend in the SLO CO ag office tells me there is a researcher from UC Cooperative Extension working in both SB and SLO Counties right now, doing research on this hard to kill bug. (a "bug" is a specific class of insects--hard bodies, jointed legs and antennae. "Bug" is not a synonym for "insect", it refers to a specific group of insects). Not much preys on bugs because of their hard shells, and this one has an odor that repels birds etc. So the State Cooperative Extension Service (plant and insect geeks) is working on this problem, and may not be quick to provide much info on controls, but they ARE thorough, and will work hard to find them. Broccoli is SLO CO's biggest ag crop, above grapes! I will update whenever I get new info but these guys have been confirmed by the State lab to be in south SLO county near Lopez Lake, so they are likely nearby in the row crop fields. The Bagrada bug likes brassicas (cabbage family members) but the researcher has found them in strawberries as well. They hitchhike well in cardboard cartons and boxes, so likely have traveled fast that way. The Times' photo shows them on sweet alyssum, so this shows HOW SMALL THEY ARE. about 3/16" to 1/2". Spraying with chemicals will chase them out but they will return as soon as the pesticide wears off, so chemical sprays are ineffective in the long run. And expensive. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/home_blog/2010/12/bagrad a-bug.html
COMMENT 324014	2012-09-25 02:35 PM
Do we even have "canyon lizards" here?
COMMENT 324066	2012-09-25 04:13 PM
Ohhhhh . . . Dang. These little buggers are what "ate" my Cleome! I grew some Cleome from seed, proudly transplanted them in amongst my Centranthus, Dahlias, sages, tomatoes and zuke plants. Couldn't wait to see the pretty pink flowers. These bagrada "babies" came out of nowhere, sucked the life out of four 8" tall Cleomes in nothing flat. I tried spraying a soapy baking soda and vinegar solution. That never phased them one bit. My Cleome were out-gunned and undermanned. I went online, to try and find out what these little suckers were, since I had never seen them before in my life. Contacted some plant groups. NO info. As soon as the Cleome were done with, I ripped them out. No more bagradas (not little baby ones) that I have seen. Figured they came with my bags of potting soil or landscape mix. Now I must keep an eye out for the adults. Double dang it. Thanks for solving my mystery for me.
CEES	2012-09-25 04:31 PM
I found a large group of them recently and wondered what they were. Do you know if Diatomaceous Earth will kill them? It is supposed to work on beatle type bugs. And is a non-chemical way to control pests.
SBJULES	2012-09-25 04:45 PM
broccoli is one of Santa Barbara County's biggest crop too.
COMMENT 324087	2012-09-25 05:29 PM
Golly.... my yard in the mountains has been infested with them for 7 or 8 years. I had no idea that they were so problematic. I've never seen them on any plants, just walking around. The little black ones I find in piles under leaves and mulch... on the pathways.
COMMENT 324088	2012-09-25 05:30 PM
I noticed them 2 years ago on my asclepias!!
COMMENT 324097	2012-09-25 05:53 PM
I just came in from watering and I found a ton of them. Last week none, this week...a ton!
COMMENT 324099	2012-09-25 05:57 PM
These have been around for more than 40 years. My brother and I used to call them erchie bugs...but they were always in our yard in the alyssum. If you get rid of alyssum..they go away.
AWESOME BLOSSOM	2012-09-25 06:06 PM
I HAVE THE ANSWERS! MANUAL LABOR AND SOAPY CLAY WATER 1) clean out all you old brassica plants 2) clean out any weeds 3) clean out any old ground cover 4)Remove mulch that has them in it. Mulch again after this is over 5) Soak areas with SOAPY water 6) Shoot any bugs down with SOAPY water 7) Mix SOAP and POWDERED CLAY (Kaolin clay sold by brand name"Surround" from Garden Alive, or just use powdered clay) 8) Keep an eye out and have a bottle of SOAPY CLAY water available. Smush them with your fingers after you disable them with the soapy water. Capture them in a bag if you want, but shooting soapy clayey water on them is fun! **Clay cover's the plant with a white residue: LEAVE IT ON. It acts as a barrier and does not affect the plants ability to live. When the bugs get the clay on them it smothers them. SERIOUSLY folks, Soapy water kills them. CLAY kills them, too. Joe Palumbo, the foremost experts on them, agrees with me.
AWESOME BLOSSOM	2012-09-25 06:09 PM
Insecticides don't work. Barrier and physical controls do work. CEES, you were right about DE, but clay is the real deal.
AWESOME BLOSSOM	2012-09-25 06:12 PM
No, these are not the normal bugs 328047. These are way different. Smaller, rounder, golden gilded edges and have wings.
AWESOME BLOSSOM	2012-09-25 06:20 PM
Don't plant any brassicas til you've treated cleaned up areas for two weeks, with daily soapy clayey waterings. Brassicas are: kale cabbage broccoli cauliflowers radish kohlrabi Brussels sprouts rutabaga turnip pac choi mizuna mustard an excellent variety of Kale I've been growing is "Fizz". Its very tough, with a naturally occurring gray/white coating on the leaves, which led me to conclude that the coating has something to do with the natural protection it had against the bagrada. This coating also makes it more drought tolerant, as most gray or "glaucous" plants are prone to be.
COMMENT 324140	2012-09-25 08:09 PM
Awesome Blossom. You are . . .won't say it . . . Cool. You forgot to put Cleome on the list. It is a sister plant of the brassicas. Question: What sprayer doesn't clog up with clay? 088: I would have to see these on your Asclepius to believe it. Are you sure you didn't see the attendant aphids that are fairly specific to the butterfly weed? They are yellow, not anything like these bagrada bugs. I had a pal who was moaning about the aphids on her Asclepius---years after I had told her they are beneficial to the plant. I have seen these aphids "grooming" the seed pods. The Asclepius seems to like the aphids. Some strange symbiosis going on there. Please don't spray your Asclepius with anything, i.e.
GREENTOO	2012-09-25 09:24 PM
There is a similar bug that is quite commom on Asclepius plants. It has been around for years. It is larger and doesn't seem to harm the plants. It will coexist with the yellow aphids. The aphids are a good indicator that Asclepius have not been sprayed. Look for them when buying more plants.
COMMENT 324163P	2012-09-25 09:33 PM
Here are photos of the NATIVE milkweed bug, in its various stages. Native Milkweed Bug
AWESOME BLOSSOM	2012-09-26 06:51 AM
COMMENT 324140 They'll eat other plants, too. Brassicas are first on the list. My sprayer has not clogged, I'm using very fine Kaolin and soap. I believe the methods I use are very effective. When it turns cold they will all die anyhow, but the eggs will overwinter. I will Flame my buggy areas before spring to kill them too. What exactly was that pause before "cool"?
ARTEMISIA	2012-09-26 07:41 AM
Here's an informative link about bagrada bug and possible organic control methods: http://www.infonet-biovision.org/default/ct/103/pests
COMMENT 324191P	2012-09-26 07:48 AM
Gort! Klaatu Bagrada Nikto!
COMMENT 324197	2012-09-26 08:12 AM
Soap solutions seem to work, especially on the nymphs but not as well on the adults. Be careful because these can burn plants depending on the soap concentration, type of plant, and temperature. There is a publication on soap solutions at the Colorado State University Extension website. I can't provide the link because I'm not a paying Edhat member. Some more info on the bug and control can be found at the San Diego County Master Gardener Website Assoc. website from Sep. 2010. More info on Bagrada Bugs and other invasive species can be found at the Univ. of Calif. Riverside, Center for Invasive Species website. There are lots of bad bugs out there! And a few good ones, too.
COMMENT 324209P	2012-09-26 08:47 AM
Thanks for this info. I have been inundated with these bugs for the last 3 weeks. Cleaned out my broccoli patch within days! I've never seen anything like this in all my years of SB gardening and food growing - really bad stuff. I'll try the soapy clay water. Thanks for all the tips.
COMMENT 324221P	2012-09-26 09:12 AM
Yes, what water to soap ratio on the spray, please? Insecticidal soap from the nursery necessary, or is some type of regular soap also O.K.? Dishwashing detergent?
COMMENT 324222	2012-09-26 09:13 AM
Blossom: I think the pause was "you are effing cool".
COMMENT 324245P	2012-09-26 09:57 AM
191P made me laugh out loud. We need Gort to focus his death ray on these bugs!
FLICKA	2012-09-26 01:57 PM
I find the wide spacing between letters extremely hard to read. Why does it happen? A mistake or something?
COMMENT 324386	2012-09-26 02:07 PM
Remove the mulch and identify the source of your mulch and report it to the Ag Department. Bag the removed mulch and depending on the amount you have you can can incinerate it in a safe location and with a permit or treat it with pesticide. If you do not want to use pesticides or afraid of spreading the blight in the removal and incineration process, then quickly place the removed mulch into black trash bags tightly sealed and leave them in a location exposed to bright sunlight for several days and let the bags "cook". The internal temperature should be hot enough in the black bags to kill the bugs and hopefully any eggs or progeny without allowing them to escape and spread. This slow death may take some time so be sure you place the bags somewhere where they will not be torn or opened and no one will complain about them being unsightly.
AWESOME BLOSSOM	2012-09-26 06:02 PM
Hey, back from killing bagrada bugs. To answer your question about the soap to water ratio, as long as it makes suds. What that, like 2 to 10 ratio? Do it late afternoon. I used no more tears shampoo today, dr. bronners one day, dial the other, it doesn't matter too much. What I did today was look into DE Diatomaceous Earth, thinking maybe it could help, but no. I dissolves in water, won't make a paste. I took out the plants and bugs into a black plastic bag, removed the irrigation,soapy watered it, and covered the area with DE, hoping to use it in the fight against the offspring, because I got all the adults. I even found one in my car hours later. They are all over.I have no problems squishing them raw with my fingers, and do you know what? They do not smell.
AWESOME BLOSSOM	2012-09-26 06:05 PM
By the way, I'd keep the Ag dept out of it, unless theres some gain in it, all your doing is asking for trouble. And if you do, NEVER tell them you used an over the counter pesticide. They will fine you if you are not a licensed pesticide applicator. Which is fine until you think of the dichotomy of legal over the counter poisons that consumers buy by the billions, but legally they are not supposed to use. Spend yes, apply no.
AWESOME BLOSSOM	2012-09-26 06:08 PM
http://westernfarmpress.com/vegetables/arizona-veg-ipm-update-bagrada-bug-back-desert-grown-cole-crops-heaviest-numbers-ever
COMMENT 324579	2012-09-26 06:49 PM
the bagrada showed up one day in great multitudes two weeks ago in my veggie garden. same day, i turned over dirt around cole plants (including the kale, cruciferous cabbages and broccolis) to try get larvae, applied a spray of water with enough palmolive kitchen soap to bubble, and a little of mineral oil. i put out some ground cayanne pepper as well but that was mainly for racoone deterence. all gone next day and haven't been back.
AWESOME BLOSSOM	2012-09-26 08:03 PM
COMMENT 324579 Congratulations!
AWESOME BLOSSOM	2012-09-27 09:38 AM
Oh, no overhead water if you use soapy clay
COMMENT 324833P	2012-09-27 12:24 PM
Poster is not creating this spread. Probably in the printing program code. Spaces letters out so they are evenly spread without margin indents. Similar to newspapers or other periodicals.
COMMENT 325108	2012-09-27 08:44 PM
As a local Organic Farmer, I captured several bugs in multiple jars and applied various mixtures to see what worked. In one jar I used Pyganic insecticide mixed with Sporatec at the rate of one quart each in 200 gallons of water which is enough to spray one acre of my crops. It was effective as a contact killer in about 15 minutes. In another jar I dusted Diatomaceous Earth and it too was effective but took two hours to kill all the bugs. I have yet to try Neem or Entrust but remember that there are currently no legally registered pesticides for use on this pest so make sure the ones you use are registered for another pest that is present on your crops.

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