green ladybugs??? AHHHHHHHHHH

fred_zepp · 07-12-2009, 02:40 AM

i've got these green ladybug impersonators that are eating the crap out of my hops. i saw one or two a few days ago...now there are hundreds.

can't remember what these are actually called... but they are chewing up the leaves of my hops with impunity.

already sprayed a home-made insecticidal soap today....now i'm gonna do a nicotine spray (soakin a can of chew in water - -spray with pump sprayer).

anybody else got any ideas?

first it was spider mites...now these little b@stards.

bsay · 07-12-2009, 03:50 AM

I heard that you can capture some, put them in a blender with water, blend them up (with a few short bursts to "frustrate" them into secreting a special hormone. Pureed dead friends I guess deter them.....either that or I've relaxed, not worried and had too much homebrew.

fred_zepp · 07-12-2009, 05:04 AM

hahaha

yeah, yeah i get it.

but i have twenty five plants to worry about...i've put a lot of time into it... and i want them to produce some hops...not get eaten by green frickin bugs.

EvilTOJ · 07-12-2009, 01:32 PM

A picture would help, but the only green bugs I know of are aphids. Aphids are way smaller than ladybugs though.

fred_zepp · 07-12-2009, 03:50 PM

i did a litttle research and found out they are cucumber beetles. they most likely just migrated from more southern areas. they like to eat all kinds of stuff.

ways to fight em:

real ladys bugs will eat cuke beetle larvae.

plants that are bug repellent, such as african marigolds, broccoli, etc.

build bat houses...bats eat bad bugs. (already wanted to do this anyway)

abstonhops · 07-12-2009, 04:53 PM

bats rock! we have several around here and i believe that is the reason we don't have a severe bug problem....knock on wood!

Trubadour · 07-12-2009, 04:55 PM

I planted broccoli this year and bugs ate the hell out of them - I don't think they're bug repellant

fred_zepp · 07-12-2009, 06:35 PM

i'll probably go get some african marigolds, lady bugs and bat houses...right after i spray again.

**android** · 07-12-2009, 10:04 PM

plant some squash nearby and they won't be interested in the hops.

are they striped or do they have spots?

fred_zepp · 07-13-2009, 02:09 AM

they are spotted....look exactly like lady bugs, except bright green. about the same size too. i spoke to my wife's grandpa, a local farmer... and he was all too familiar with these bugs.