Invasion of the Stink Bugs

A lot happens in the garden when you've been gone for a few days.

We came home to a moderate infestation of what we've determined to be Harlequin Bugs (aka. Stink Bugs).

Nothing a handheld Shark vacuum and a bowl of soapy water can't fix.





The coolest part about gardening for me is the constant learning that happens. Now I not only know how to identify these creatures, I know about their life cycle and what their eggs look like.

Thinking out loud: It amazes me that they seemingly came out of the middle of nowhere. Totally bizarre. My interwebs research indicates that these guys like mustard and brassicas. We did throw some mustard seeds in our mesclun mix, and I think they must have smelled it and descended upon it in droves over the weekend. I've never spotted their eggs, and don't recall seeing their nymphs, but perhaps I mistook their nymphs for aphids. I dunno.

Like I said, soapy water is a gardener's friend. And I've wanted to type so many times, "At least it's not XXXX this year." but don't want to jinx myself!