Comments on: Four lined plant bugs: Tips for identification and organic controls

By: Ron

Wed, 28 Jun 2023 00:05:50 +0000

I have these bugs on my Montauk daisy, zucchini, Shasta daisy, oregano and a few others.

I’ve sprayed Neem oil and it seems to help.

I’m going to try trimming the damage.

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By: Robert

Mon, 31 May 2021 18:55:14 +0000

most interesting – I am north shore of Boston, just south of New Hampshire, and these guys are out of control this year! I also planted chocolate mint and they went crazy on it last year and I think the ensuing generation is all over my garden this spring. It must be their favorite mint or something.

My favorite product for most bugs is something called “Einstein Oil” which has Neem, garlic and other stuff and works really well. I mixed up a batch and sprayed and 90% of them are gone, will spray again in a week.

Normally I ignore these guys but it’s obvious there is some kind of population boom this spring that is doing more than cosmetic damage, some of the plants are getting devastated.

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By: Ashleigh

Sun, 19 Jul 2020 02:30:22 +0000

They are destroying COMFREY and mullein, I didn’t know this was possible. The damage was mostly confined to my chocolate mint in the past, but this year they’re everywhere and on everything. They’ve been destroying my entire garden for a solid month plus. I’m on the coast of Maine – I don’t think I’m the only one having a tough year with these guys.

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By: Jessica Walliser

Sun, 12 Jul 2020 00:45:50 +0000

In reply to mary S Farhi.

I think a better bet at this point is to knock them off your basil plants and then cover the plants with floating row cover. That would provide 100% control without the need to spray. Just make sure you don’t trap any four-lined plant bugs under the row cover.

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By: mary S Farhi

Sat, 11 Jul 2020 22:53:25 +0000

They are decimating my basil and it is already mid July! If I spray with neem can I still eat the basil?

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By: Darcy

Sun, 28 Jun 2020 18:33:57 +0000

I read in an extension service article on them that the eggs are laid in the stems of many common shrubs like weigela, hydrangea, deutzia. in the fall, I am going to spray the stems of these shrubs (after leaves have fallen) with dormant oil spray. The idea is to smother the eggs. We’ll see if it helps.

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By: Jessica Walliser

Fri, 26 Jun 2020 12:41:54 +0000

In reply to Maggie.

Just go out mid-day and run the shop vac hose over, around, and down into the plant. The plant’s stems will get sucked into the hose, but when you lift the hose, they will come right out. But the bugs won’t.

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By: Jessica Walliser

Fri, 26 Jun 2020 12:37:38 +0000

In reply to M Dilworth.

Cleaning up debris around susceptible in the autumn helps.

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By: M Dilworth

Mon, 22 Jun 2020 00:48:28 +0000

I have a heavily infested garden with these guys in everything: roses, weigala , hydrangeas, tomatoes, peppers, snapdragons, bleeding hearts, basil, bee balm, and my magnolia tree, etc.
Is there a way too help prevent them?

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By: Maggie

Sat, 20 Jun 2020 20:13:01 +0000

In reply to Coinneach.

Love this idea! Can you please give a little more detail on how to use the shop vac to collect them? they have really done a number on my mint. Thanks!

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