Cut worm shields.

by GB 7th May 2011, 4:29 pm

I have always used tin cans with the top and bottom cut out but they look so awful that I usually only use them on very special plants but this year the cut worms are past bad Evil or Very Mad

the blighters have eaten their way through unbelievable numbers of my seedlings and even grown plants so I came up with something new..................

Using my hubbies empty 2 ltr bottles of soda, I cut the top and bottom off leaving a tube. Cut the tube into two shorter tubes and Hey PRESTO!!! Two clear cutworm shields Very Happy

I have put them onto about 30 plants so far and they not only do the job, but unless I look really closely, they are invisible Cut worm shields. 867853

Now if I can just find something to get rid of shield bugs Mad

by Lottie 7th May 2011, 7:16 pm

What a good idea Very Happy

Can't type much me hands are tired... Embarassed

by Dandelion 7th May 2011, 7:19 pm

Are shield bug a problem is the US, GB? We have them too, but they just sit and look at us - I can't find anything they've nibbled.

by GB 7th May 2011, 8:04 pm

Dandelion wrote:Are shield bug a problem is the US, GB? We have them too, but they just sit and look at us - I can't find anything they've nibbled.

They cant nibble D, they don't have teeth. What they do have is a needle nose that they stab into fruits/veg/plants and suck a bit, walk a bit, stab and suck, walk and stab and suck and and and each place their needle goes in becomes a mealy patch. They also let in fungus and virus so by the time they are done with a tomato nothing is left usable Mad

they also like peppers, squash, blue berries, figs, egg plants and grapes.

Last year - granted in a new garden - we got to eat four tomatoes. FOUR!!! Out of 10 plants! And the peppers only came good because autumn brought dryer conditions so the bugs buggered off.

Have been killing them as I find them but gosh, I really hate them Embarassed

by GB 7th May 2011, 8:37 pm

Lottie wrote:What a good idea Can't type much me hands are tired...

Are your hands OK Lottie?

Oh, and dont grab shield bugs, they can and will stab your hand. Take it from me, it hurts like hell!

by Lottie 7th May 2011, 9:18 pm

Yeah, sweeti, they're fine, just over done the gardening a bit and they're protesting... Rolling Eyes

by Dandelion 7th May 2011, 9:57 pm

GB wrote:

Oh, and dont grab shield bugs, they can and will stab your hand. Take it from me, it hurts like hell!

US shieldbugs sound very different to UK ones - ours make a bit of a smell if threatened but don't bite

by GB 7th May 2011, 10:10 pm

Dandelion wrote:
GB wrote:

Oh, and dont grab shield bugs, they can and will stab your hand. Take it from me, it hurts like hell!

US shieldbugs sound very different to UK ones - ours make a bit of a smell if threatened but don't bite

You lucky person, the Green Shieldbug is now in the UK. And we use to play with stink bugs/shield bugs as kids and never got stabbed but I grabbed one off a tomato and it knifed into the side of my finger, right beside the nail and oooooh man, it hurt for 6 days Evil or Very Mad

.

Whats especially madening about them is that there are preditory shield bugs but if prey is scarce, they will start eating your toms too Rolling Eyes

by mr_sfstk8d 9th May 2011, 2:07 pm

Well, I suppose the next bet is to see what naturally preys on them? Another bug to foster? A fungus they're prone to? Not sure.

Oh, and we just call the smelly ones Stink Bugs in the US Midwest here, lol.

by GB 9th May 2011, 3:24 pm

mr_sfstk8d wrote:Well, I suppose the next bet is to see what naturally preys on them? Another bug to foster? A fungus they're prone to? Not sure.

Oh, and we just call the smelly ones Stink Bugs in the US Midwest here, lol.

I just learned yesterday that sunflowers are a natural catch plant for htem! So I had a look in the evening and caught 9 of htem off my SFs Cool

into a cup of soapy water Twisted Evil

Have planted many many more SFs Cut worm shields. 867853

by GB 9th May 2011, 5:44 pm

I think I need to re name this thread the Ideas for Shield bug/stink bug control Embarassed

by GB 27th May 2011, 2:42 pm

I had an idea for a new cut worm shield yesterday when Mum and I were talking about the kitchen counter she wants to make. She said she saw a counter once that had colored glass bottle bottoms used as tiles with little bits of glass set in between and the lot grouted.

She said it was beautiful!

And then I thought, what if you made cutworm shields with colored glass bottles? A bottle cutting kit doesn't cost much and you could take the top and bottom off, leaving you with a glass tube. Bottle banks always have such pretty color bottles to use, red and green and blue and brown................

Great! A new project Rolling Eyes

But I also thought, if one gets enough of them made, one might be able to sell them! A truly green pest avoidance system Cool

by Compostwoman 27th May 2011, 3:13 pm

Might be viewed as a bit dangerous though...imagine if you fell on one?

by GB 27th May 2011, 4:31 pm

Compostwoman wrote:Might be viewed as a bit dangerous though...imagine if you fell on one?

If you ground the edges smooth? Surely garden stakes are more dangerous, I try to take my eyes out regularly with those Embarassed

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