Stinkbugs - I need ideas to keep them off my Tomatoes

[Mini Horses]

So reading I see they don't like strong smells -- like, really???? This comes from things to keep them from entering houses. Wipe screens with strong smelling dryer sheets, put clove or lavender oils on sills at door and windows, etc. I sprayed BT on mine on squash plants. It did kill them...or at least gone. A female can lay 50-100 eggs at a time, usually on underside of leaf, white.

By the way, skunks don't like lavender. And I know moth balls, either. But gotta be careful with those so nothing else eats them.....

 

[flowerbug]

how about putting some bird baths around to attract birdies which may eat some of them?

we do get some stink bugs here (we call them squash bugs) but not too many. we do have bird baths.

also diatomaceous earth might help discourage them. it can be hard to get on the plants though. i don't use it here.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I have a lot of water sources scattered around - but not bird baths specifically. There are water buckets in all pens and several large troughs. I have bird savers in all troughs so that the birds can access the water without drowning. I also put out chicken feed twice a day. Our local birds know the feeding schedule as well as the chickens do and will barely wait until my back is turned to swoop in and steel a seed or two. Maybe they don't enjoy a stinkbug snack, lol. I wonder if guinea fowl would eat them...or even chickens? But, I can't let chickens into the garden because they're scratching destroys fragile plants. Maybe I could get some bantams to keep in the garden. Smaller chickens, smaller damage?

 

[Mini Horses]

Actually, ducks and guineas scratch less. But all will eat tender new sprouts. It's hard to NOT have at least some new things, right? If they are only hitting tomatoes, fence them off and add birds? Try the Neem and BT first. Less trouble.

 

[flowerbug]

I have a lot of water sources scattered around - but not bird baths specifically. There are water buckets in all pens and several large troughs. I have bird savers in all troughs so that the birds can access the water without drowning. I also put out chicken feed twice a day. Our local birds know the feeding schedule as well as the chickens do and will barely wait until my back is turned to swoop in and steel a seed or two. Maybe they don't enjoy a stinkbug snack, lol. I wonder if guinea fowl would eat them...or even chickens? But, I can't let chickens into the garden because they're scratching destroys fragile plants. Maybe I could get some bantams to keep in the garden. Smaller chickens, smaller damage?

ah, that may be a part of the difference here, we don't feed the birds other than what they forage from the gardens, bushes or trees. they have to earn their living like the rest of us.

 

[flowerbug]

i wonder if there is some trap for them that can be used? i've not looked into it though.