gardening
Protect your garden from leaf-footed bugs
Story by Adam Russell
Homegrown tomato lovers, beware. A sneaky pest may be lurking in your garden, which could be why your fruit turns tough, blemished or completely inedible. Leaffooted bugs are appearing in gardens across the South, and they’ re especially drawn to tomatoes.
Molly Keck, Texas A & M AgriLife Extension Service integrated pest management specialist in Bexar County, said now is the time for Texas gardeners to closely watch for leaf-footed bugs because catching them before adulthood is vital for preventing damage. She shared simple strategies to stop these pests before they ruin your crops.
Leaf-footed bugs: What to look for in various stages
Leaf-footed bugs are named for their flattened, leaf-like extensions on their back legs. Adults are dark brown, about three-quarters of an inch long, with a white to yellowish stripe across their back and fully developed wings. And like stink bugs, which they are sometimes confused for, mature leaf-footed bugs emit an odor when handled.
Immature nymphs look quite different. They are much smaller, with red or orange and black bodies and black legs. They typically group in clusters on plants and move like spiders.
Keck said while the pest is particularly drawn to tomatoes, they also feed on cucumbers and prickly pear cactus. As they feed, their sharp, sucking mouthparts pierce the fruit.
“ They pierce the fruit, leaving yellow, bleached-looking marks with hardened skin around it, or it will make a rotten spot,” she said.“ It makes the tomato not palatable.”
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