test
test  Details
Gardener's Supply Company
Customer Service Order Status Catalog Quick Order
 View Basket Checkout
CLOSE
ORDER SUBTOTAL:
test
View Basket to enter catalog code.
 

Tarnished Plant Bug

Back to Pest & Disease Detective

Tarnished Plant Bug

Tarnished plant bugs and their nymphs feed on the stems, leaves, blossoms and developing young fruits. As they feed, the bugs and nymphs release a toxin into plant tissues that stunts or otherwise deforms growth.

The tarnished plant bug is named for the adult bug’s coppery-brown color. Nymphs overwinter in weedy patches and decaying plant matter, and emerge in late spring to feed on young weeds and grasses before moving to favored crops. Adult bugs move very quickly and fly away when disturbed. There are several generations per year, and the bugs are found throughout North America.

Prevention and Control
  • Keep the garden area mowed and free of weeds.
  • Cover plants with garden fabric to protect them from egg-laying adults. Remove covers during blossoming to admit pollinating insects.
  • Encourage native predators, such as pirate bugs and bigeyed bugs.
  • Remove organic debris at the end of the growing season to give the pests fewer places to overwinter.

Recommended Products

  • Garden Dust Contains copper sulphate and pyrethrins. Use it as a last resort if other controls are not effective
  • Summerweight Garden Fabric Fabric cover screens out Japanese beetles, potato beetles, cabbage worms, leaf miners, carrot flies and most vine borers. Transmits 85 percent of the light to plants without allowing heat build-up.
  • All Seasons Spray Oil, 32 Oz. Unlike heavy "dormant" spray oils that can only be used in early spring, this lightweight oil can be used year-round on vegetables and ornamental plants to control many insect pests, including aphids, mealybugs, red spider mites and scale.

Gardener-to-Gardener Photos

Add your own tarnished plant bug photos

photo gallery loading...

Comments, questions and tips about tarnished plant bug