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What’s eating your kale? Look for harlequins



Harlequin bug
The harlequin bug eats and eats and eats. Heavy infestations will kill plants. (Photos courtesy UC Integrated Pest Management)

This stink bug cousin loves many crops




One day, the dino kale looked fine. The next, white blotches started appearing on the dark green leaves.

Then came the explosion: Hundreds of colorful bugs that looked like mutated lady beetles covered the kale plants – and just those plants. Instead of black dots on red wings, these black bugs were covered with bright orange and red markings.

The harlequins had hatched. Their eggs had been hiding in the textured leaves of the kale. These nymphs were too young to fly, so they had to stay put.

That’s when it’s time to wipe them out before they can take wing – and attack more plants.

Harlequin bugs are multiplying all over Sacramento. They’re making the most of cool-season crops such as kale, cabbage or mustard that have hung around into early summer. Once the eggs hatch, the bugs have something to eat.

And they do eat and eat and eat. A member of the stink bug family, harlequins plunge their feeding tubes into fruit or vegetables, and suck out the juices. Besides deforming the fruit, the enzymes they leave behind makes it inedible. They also feed on leafy greens, causing white or yellow blotches where they ate. Heavy infestations will kill plants.

Harlequin bugs on a pear
When you find harlequin bugs, knock them into a bucket
of soapy water.
The young ones tend to hang out in clusters or large groups. The nymphs go through several stages, molting four or five times before reaching their adult size and coloring. When full grown, the Murgantia histrionica are shiny black with orange, yellow or red markings. Adults are about 3/8-inch long.

Also like other stink bugs, harlequins seem immune to most pesticides. The best control is hand-picking the nymphs off plants and squishing them (with gloves – they do stink). Or knock them into a bucket with soapy water; they can’t swim. Pull, bag and discard heavily infested plants.

UC Cooperative Extension master gardeners recommend destroying old kales, cabbages, mustards and other potential host plants so the harlequins don’t have a place to hang out. Also clean up weedy spots near fruit trees or garden areas. Those weeds may shelter harlequins.

For more information:
http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/GARDEN/VEGES/PESTS/harlequinbug.html

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Dig In: Garden Checklist

For week of March 24:

In between cloud bursts, try to catch up with early spring chores. 

* Attack weeds now! Get them before they flower and go to seed. Take a hoe and whack them as soon as they sprout. Aim for 1 inch below the soil line.

* Start preparing vegetable beds. Spade in compost and other amendments.

* Prune and fertilize spring-flowering shrubs after bloom.

* Feed camellias at the end of their bloom cycle. Pick up browned and fallen flowers to help corral blossom blight.

* Feed citrus trees, which are now in bloom and setting fruit. To prevent sunburn and borer problems on young trees, paint the exposed portion of the trunk with diluted white latex (water-based) interior paint. Dilute the paint with an equal amount of cold water before application.

* Feed roses with a balanced fertilizer (such as 10-10-10, the ratio of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium available in that product).

* Prune and fertilize spring-flowering shrubs and trees after they bloom. Try using well-composted manure, spread 1-inch thick under the tree. This serves as both fertilizer and mulch, retaining moisture while cutting down on weeds.

* Cut back and fertilize perennial herbs to encourage new growth.

* Seed and renovate the lawn (if you still have one). Feed cool-season grasses such as bent, blue, rye and fescue with a slow-release fertilizer. Check the irrigation system and perform maintenance. Make sure sprinkler heads are turned toward the lawn, not the sidewalk.

* In the vegetable garden, transplant lettuce and cole family plants, such as cabbage, broccoli, collards and kale.

* Seed chard and beets directly into the ground.

* Plant summer bulbs, including gladiolus, tuberous begonias and callas. Also plant dahlia tubers.

* Shop for perennials. Many varieties are available in local nurseries and at plant events. They can be transplanted now while the weather remains relatively cool.

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