Squash loss mystery solved

Meet Halyomorpha halys, better known as the the brown marmorated stink bug. These little plagues are the cause of my total squash loss this year. Had I paid a little closer attention I might have been able to stop the damage and save my squash, but unfortunately, my attention was focused elsewhere and my squash was a total loss.

This garden pest could prove to be a major threat to home gardens and organic farms. Government entomologists are especially worried about a new Asian variety that has been spreading from Eastern Pennsylvania. The problem is that this new variety has no natural predators in the U.S. and the damage they can do is catastrophic. “If they get to Florida, it could be like the atomic bomb going off,” said Douglas G. Luster, research leader for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service. “They’re starting to show up in North Carolina.”

The problem with this pest, it is an equal opportunity eater. It loves fructose, any source of fructose. My squash with their hollow vines full of sap were a nice treat, but they eat everything else from tomatoes, cabbage, grapes, peaches, anything sweet.

There are tests being done to see if an Asian wasp can be introduced to the U.S. to handle this menace, however, there is always a risk when introducing new insect species in an ecosystem. For organic gardens and farms, there currently is no remedy except to pick them off and burn them.

So how did I get hit so bad with this bug? For the first time I planted sun flowers in my garden. In fact, I planted them in a row right next to my pumpkin bed. It seems that sun flowers are one of a few of stink bug "trap plants". Stink bugs love them, so the idea is you plant them far away from your garden and the bugs can't help but go to the sun flowers. I planted mine 2 feet from my pumpkins.

You could watch the spread; first the pumpkin row, then up one row to the next series of squash. Unfortunately, my grapes are in line next. We destroyed everything in the lower beds last night and took as many of the bugs out as possible. I'm pulling the sun flowers today.

Lessons learned:
1. Be more vigilant in the garden. Look close at each plant to deal early with any problems.
2. Companion planting has a dark side. I need to learn more about companion planting, there are things that can be planted that pests hate.