Because they love tomatoes, peppers, beans, but also the flowers and leaves of our beautiful plants, green bugs are insects that we don't like in the garden, even if they are completely harmless. Luckily, there are natural ways to scare them away gently, without having to crush them.
How to recognize green stink bugs?
The green stink bug (Palomena Prasina), also known as the stink bug, is one of the most well-known varieties of stink bugs. It is recognizable by its green color but you have to keep in mind that it turns brown as winter approaches. This strategy, called mimicry, allows it to blend in with its environment.
As an adult, the green stink bug is about 1 cm long and has a very characteristic flat, slightly domed silhouette. It lays its white to translucent eggs on the underside of the leaves. Equipped with a pair of wings protected by elytra, the green stink bug is able to fly, but its flight is noisy and heavy.
The green stink bug lays its white to translucent eggs on the underside of leaves Copyright (c) 2020 Muddy knees/Shutterstock. No use without permission.
Are green bugs dangerous?
Rest assured, green stink bugs are absolutely harmless to humans and do not bite.
Why do I have green bugs in my house?
The natural habitat of the green stink bug is in the woods but it is common for it to come close to our homes, often attracted by the vegetables that grow in our vegetable gardens. When the temperatures start to drop, she looks for shelter from the cold and ends up in our homes. Generally, it settles in the attic because it loves to curl up in glass wool to overwinter and then reproduce.
Why shouldn't you crush green bugs?
Although they do not pose any danger to our health, green bugs have an unstoppable and very unpleasant defense system: thanks to scent glands located on their thorax, they emit a foul odor when frightened or crushed. Luckily, there are natural ways to scare them away without needing to crush them.
How do you get rid of green stink bugs?
It is better to scare away green bugs than to kill them. Copyright (c) 2018 Ruth Swan/Shutterstock. No use without permission.
Because they are harmless to humans, it is better to scare away green bugs than to kill them. If you come face to face with a few specimens, you can simply pick them up in your hands (they don't bite!), use a sheet of paper or a small box to carry them outside.
However, if you're facing a larger invasion, here are our two favorite natural methods to get them out of the way and prevent them from causing inconvenience to your plants:
- Protect your plants with a garlic repellent: boil 2 litres of water, add fresh pressed garlic and simmer for 15 minutes. Let it infuse for 12 hours before filtering the decoction and then spraying it directly on your plants;
- Scare away green bugs with mint: Infuse 20 drops of mint essential oil in a large volume of boiling water. When this mixture has cooled, spray it on your plants.
However, the most effective way to get rid of green bugs is to prevent them from taking up residence in your home, you can also spray these mixtures directly on the bedbugs. To do this, observe them when autumn arrives. They tend to congregate on the sunniest walls in the garden, so it will be easy to scare them away.