It’s that time of year again when the sweet smell of jasmine wafts across towns and cities and heralds the beginning of summer.
But if you have fruit trees or a vegetable garden, there’s an entirely different perfume that is just as much part of summer: the pong of stink bugs.
Those nasty little suckers will grab onto your orange trees, sit on prized tomato plants and invade the leafy canopy of green beans and peppers.
If you just shake a tree or plant, you’ll quickly smell a pungent odour that will leave you in no doubt that stink bugs are in your garden.
Check out these tips for getting rid of these little critters.
ID parade
It’s not difficult to identify a stink bug. Usually, its smell is all you need to know. Australia has about 600 native species in a variety of colours and they can grow up to about 2.5cm.
Do they really stink?
Let’s put it this way: the odour is to fend off predators. So, yeah, they totally stink.
Solution
You can try white oil or a stink bug repellant available at retailers.
Vacuum cleaner
The occasional genius on the internet will suggest using a vacuum cleaner to suck them off a plant. Two things about that: your vacuum will need serious suction and the dust catcher will stink with all those bugs inside and need a super-deep clean.
Last resort
Grab a plastic bag and pick them off your trees and plants one by one. They won’t yield easily, but it’s probably the only way to deal with them. Seal the bag and stick it in the garbage.
Protection
Stink bugs spray their smell, you can see the droplets on the leaves of fruit trees. The spray will leave a nasty stain on your hands if you touch it, and it will take a pumice stone and an unpleasant few minutes to get rid of it. So always wear glasses and gloves.