Fourlined plant bugs?

[Catalina]

I have a severe infestation of fourlined plant bugs.

Has anyone dealt with this before?

They are everywhere and all the info I can find says they are not detrimental "except" in severe infestations.
And I have a severe infestation!

They are beetles? So could I use DE?

 

[lesa]

Can you catch them and squash them?? I know it is the hard way, but I had a bad infestation of cucumber beetles and picking bugs morning and night for a few days, really made a difference... Do you have chickens?

 

[vfem]

I am voting for letting some chickens free around the infestation first and gaining control.... then adding DE when there are less to deal with. I think you may have had a hatch in your area recently.

 

[Catalina]

I wish I could free range my chickens. That would cut down on my slug population too. But, I live in town - no free ranging chickens allowed.

 

[vfem]

I wish I could free range my chickens. That would cut down on my slug population too. But, I live in town - no free ranging chickens allowed.

No one would know if you did it for 1 or 2 days to get those beetles in check. If they got out and around... you say" 'Oops' they flew by me while cleaning the coop.... I just put everyone back and its fine." That should be enough to get everything in check enough for you to treat them, or squeeze by hand from then on....

 

[lesa]

If you have a garden fence and the chickens are within it, I don't think that is "free ranging". If you are in the garden with 3 chickens, I can't imagine it would be a problem...Let them have at it!