All information about the unpopular stink bug

the essentials in brief

• The gray one Garden bug is also called stink bug because it releases a smelly secretion when touched
• Still that is Gray garden bug harmless: it is not poisonous and cannot bite
• Gray garden bugs feed on sap, but the damage is limited

Bed bugs in the house and garden

The gray garden bug (lat. Rhaphigaster nebulosa) is one of two native ones Stink bug species and is - as its name suggests - mainly to be found in the garden. In autumn, however, when it gets cooler outside and nature is slowly preparing for winter, the animals increasingly seek shelter in apartments and houses. In some years they can become a real nuisance due to their sheer number. But do not worry: the garden bugs do not want to settle down in your home and proliferate there, they are just looking for sheltered winter quarters.

Is the gray garden bug dangerous?

In general, bed bugs have a bad reputation, but wrongly. Of the around 40,000 different species worldwide, the vast majority are completely harmless to humans and animals, including the gray garden bug. The animals are not poisonous, do not sting, bite, suck blood (on the contrary!) And do not reproduce in large numbers. Eating damage to plants is also mostly limited.

As a result, these bugs are not classified as pests, although they can be quite a nuisance, especially in autumn. They probably owe their bad reputation to the habit of spraying off a smelly secretion when threatened (e.g. when you touch them). This is supposed to spoil the appetite of predators and thus protect the animals from being eaten.

When touched, the gray garden bug secretes a smelly substance, which is why it is also called a stink bug

What does the gray garden bug eat?

The gray garden bug feeds primarily on sap, preferring the sap of deciduous trees. In the garden, the insects are particularly common on fruit trees (e. B. Apple and pear trees) and berry trees (such as blackberries or wild fruits). They also like roses, perennials and other ornamental plants, as well as some vegetables, such as potatoes, cabbage, beans and strawberries. Garden bugs are very nimble and therefore difficult to spot in the garden. They often hide in the grass, from where they hunt for the plants. Occasionally, however, the animals suckle other, mostly dead, insects and their larvae.

Risk of confusion with an Asian pest

In contrast to the gray garden bug, which is native to us, the externally very similarly colored one applies Marbled stink bug (Halyomorpha halys) as a large pest both in agriculture and in the hobby garden. The species introduced from China sucks fruits such as apples, pears, Grapes, peaches and hazelnuts as well as tomatoes, peppers, corn on the cob, aubergines, soybeans and others. As a result, the insect causes great damage to the harvest, as the infected fruits deform and discolor. In addition, there is often a transmission with mold.

The marbled stink bug can also be found on other plants and damages ash trees, for example. Buddleia, Rowan berries etc. The insect seems to have a preference for rose plants (Rosaceae). So that you can differentiate between the two types, you will find an overview of the respective characteristics in the table.

Digression

The green stink bug

Recognize bug infestation

The gray garden bug, like the other types of bedbugs, is common in the summer months when it is hot and dry. Infestation is very likely at this time, which is why you should regularly inspect your plants and check for traces of bed bugs. Infested plants show the following characteristics:

• Pitting corrosion on leaves, shoot tips and flowers
• brownish discolored puncture points on foliage leaves
• torn tissue on the leaves
• stunted and discolored shoot tips, flowers and fruits
• Flowers don't open properly, buds stay closed
• Fruit and vegetables are inedible due to their deformation and the smelly secretion

Normally, you cannot recognize the animals from the smell, because they only give off it when danger is imminent. Don't just look out for the bedbugs, but also for their nymphs - that's what the larvae are called. These also feed on plant juices. They are much smaller and usually darker in color than the adult specimens.

How to get rid of the gray garden bug

The first rule when fighting the gray garden bug is: never touch the animals with your bare hands! When touched or when you crush them, bed bugs release the acrid secretion, the unpleasant odor of which is very difficult to remove. Therefore, do not kill any bed bugs in your apartment - especially not if they are on the wallpaper or on sit on a porous wall - because the scent adheres very stubbornly here and you have something for a long time of that. You should therefore proceed as described in the following section.

Combat

Bugs and other insects can be driven away with neem oil or soapy water

Bugs that appear in the garden are best combated by simply shaking them off and / or picking them up. Be sure to wear gloves or use aids such as a dustpan with a hand brush with soft bristles. You can also spoil the animals' appetite by spraying the infested plants with neem oil or soapy water (made from washing-up liquid or liquid soft soap). However, these methods do not work on all plants, because you probably don't want to soap fruits.

Alternatively, the insect venom pyrethrum, made from various wild flowers (Tanacetum), has an effect against bed bugs, but is also deadly for all other insects - and thus also for beneficial insects poisonous.

prevention

Since bedbugs are so difficult to control, you should avoid increasing the pressure of infestation. These precautionary measures will help:

• control: As soon as it gets warmer in spring, check your plants regularly and collect any bugs you find. Discard them so that the animals cannot reproduce any further.
• Keep soil moist: The gray garden bug and other types of bed bugs occur mainly in hot and dry weather. You should therefore water more frequently in the same weather so that the soil remains moist throughout.
• garden pond: A natural garden pond with frogs and toads living in it is ideal for Bug control: The amphibians are only too happy to eat the insects and thus prevent a strong one Multiplication.
• Chicken: If you have chickens, please let them run around between the fruit trees: the poultry peck at the bedbugs while searching for food.

Digression

How do you get bed bugs out of the apartment?

Way of life and distribution area

The gray garden bug is widespread in Germany, but is more common in central and southern Germany. In the north, however, the animals appear more sporadically. The bugs hibernate as an imago (d. H. as an adult insect after pupation) mostly en masse in different places, for example in tree bark, in cracks and crevices or in house walls overgrown with ivy.

As soon as it gets warmer in spring, the animals come out of their winter quarters. Now, in late spring, each female lays approx. 40 eggs on the leaves and shoots of the preferred host plants. From this, the so-called nymphs, which are still wingless, hatch within a short time. However, the stink glands are already present and functional. Only one generation of young bugs develops each year.

The following video shows what the eggs of the gray garden bug look like and what a nymph hatches from such an egg:

frequently asked Questions

Can the gray garden bug fly?

Like almost all bedbugs, the gray garden bug can also fly, but it is not a particularly skilled flyer. In addition, the insect makes a loud humming sound.

Are garden bugs related to the blood sucking bed bugs?

Garden bugs and bed bugs both belong to the order of bugs (Heteroptera), but are assigned to different genera and families and are therefore not related to each other. While the garden bugs as stink bugs (Pentatomidae) feed primarily on plant sap, the bed bugs are blood suckers belonging to the flat bugs (Cimicidae).

Are garden bugs dangerous to pets?

The gray garden bug is not dangerous for cats, dogs or other pets. Your secretion is not poisonous, it can only burn a little uncomfortably - especially if cheeky pets get it injected in the eyes or mouth.