I was checking my garden on Sunday, and decided to have a look at what was happening in my asparagus bed. I immediately noticed Asparagus Beetle activity. First I noticed the adults. There were both types eating my asparagus ferns, the Common and Spotted Asparagus beetle. And then upon closer inspection, I saw the larvae. They too feed on the asparagus plant stripping leaves and stems and leaving their black goo or frass behind. You could also see the Asparagus Beetle eggs lined along the stems. These are black, bullet shaped eggs laid singly in rows along the length of the stem.
Common Asparagus Beetle
Fortunately, I found a Spined Soldier Bug, which is a stink bug, but is very beneficial. With their long beaked proboscis, they feed on soft bodied insects such as Asparagus Beetle larvae. If enough make it to your garden, they will help control pest populations to a level where your plants won’t be damaged.
Spined Soldier Bug
Unfortunately, I found other stink bugs which feed on plant material and in this case were feeding on the berries that are produced by asparagus plants. I also found a number of the dreaded Brown Marmorated Stink Bug which has everyone in a tizzy. One of our research companies is working on a lure and trap for stink bugs, so I put one of the samples out to see what I could trap.
Brown Marmorated Stink Bug
The number of Asparagus Beetles weren’t so many that I was concerned about the overall health and damage to the plants. If it was , I could treat the beetle and larvae pests with Pyola. I am just going to continue watching and hope that the beneficial predators will help me with this pest.