A little insect is causing big problems for farmers and home and business owners in certain states where it has been spotted. The bean plataspid is a little known pest which has several different names. Some call it the lablab bug, the kudzu bug, or the kudzu-eating bug, and others call it the globular stink bug. It is probably best known for being called the kudzu bug.
If you have not encountered this creature yet, don’t be surprised, so far, it has not made it into New Jersey, but don’t be surprised if you see it sometime in the near future report Monmouth County, NJ pest control experts. The kudzu bug originates from Asia, like the brown marmorated stink bug. It was first discovered in Georgia in 2009. The bug was first discovered in mass quantities in soy bean fields, but it did not appear to farmers to be causing damage to crops so they were mostly left alone. Little did the farmers know that the insects were secretly slurping the juices out of a huge amount of the soy bean crops that were being grown. The pesky creatures subsequently caused millions of dollars in damages to the crops they invaded.
The kudzu bug has since migrated into the states of Alabama and Mississippi and has also been found as far east as Western Pennsylvania. These Asian invaders are now in eight states thanks to transport trucks which have accidentally given them a lift. They have now been added to the “invasive species” list of the Federal Government and Florida recently issued a warning for farmers to look out for the insects as well.
Kudzu bugs have been found to feast upon a variety of different legumes. In addition to soy bean crops, green beans, lima beans, butter beans, and wisteria are a favorite of the kudzu bug. Absent of legumes, they will eat many other types of plants.
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