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Signs of damage
- Physical damage. Due to their pierce-sucking mouths, they inflict physical damage by penetrating their needle-like mouthparts.
- Chemical damage. To help digestion, they inject the plant with harmful chemical materials.
- Death of seedlings.
- Oval holes. A clear sign of Pentatomidae’s presence are rows of oval holes across leaves, with distinct yellow borders.
- Reduction of the root mass.
- Stunted growth.
- Weaker plants. Due to their damaging action, plants become more susceptible to other damaging factors, such as unfavorable weather conditions and other insects and pathogens.
How to prevent
Scouting is considered the most effective way to prevent and mitigate “stink bugs” damage, as it is already a common practice for other insects and parasites. These insects tend to feed at the base of the plant. Also, keep in mind that places that have had Pentatomidae damage in previous years are more susceptible to their reappearance.
Heal
With these insects, preventing their appearance and spreading is more effective than healing the plants after damage, especially since some are resistant to many pesticides.
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