When the summer heat arrives, so do the bugs. Since we try to avoid the use of any chemicals in the garden, there are some battles that just aren’t worth fighting. When deciding what to plant, the susceptibility to insect damage needs to be carefully considered.

These had been feasting on the squash in July. The county Extension Agent identified these bugs as probably Leaffooted Plant bugs. She said that there was nothing available to homeowners for use in the garden that would control them. I was afraid that would be the answer. It looks like it will be a matter of just hand picking them, although I have considered using a vacuum cleaner to try to suck them off the plants. We’ll see how that works later this year.