Shield bugs - should I worry?

[JustinFun]

We suddenly seem to have hundreds of shield bugs in our allotment at the moment. They started off on our sweetcorn, but are now swarming over spinach beet and beans. They don't seem to be doing much damage at the moment, but there are loads of them - about half the leaves on our spinach bed have a cluster of 2-10 bugs.

my question is - should I be concerned, and if so what should I do? The plants seem healthy enough at the moment. We were pleased enough to see a few of them, but don't want things to get unbalanced.

[ina]

I have no idea as to what to do with them and whether to worry - but thought I'd add that the problem seems to be wide spread... We have them ,too.

[MKG]

No worries at all - all native species are harmless. We have, apparently, been invaded by another variety (wholly green, and no dark spot at the end) which can harm bean crops. However, they appear only in autumn when most bean crops are over so, again, no worries.

Enjoy 'em - they're actually very attractive insects.

[Rod in Japan]

Are shield bugs what are also known as stink bugs? I.e., handle them roughly, and they really stink?

Folklore here has it that a lot of stink bugs in the autumn presages a cold winter. When I lived in the snow country, there seemed to be a correlation between a lot of stink bugs and a lot of snow.

[Penny Lane]

I also call them stink bugs if that is what they are!

Found one in my house last week after years of not seeing them anywhere. Sorry I can't be any help otherwise!

[MKG]

Yep - stink bugs, shield bugs are the same thing. But you have to be pretty violent to make them produce the stink.

[Millymollymandy]

My cat tried to eat one and at the time we didn't know what it was that made him go completely beserk and start foaming at the mouth.......

Here in France we get some really pretty red and black stripey ones that usually sit on the heads of my dill flowers, not doing any apparent harm to them. I haven't seen any this year though.

[JustinFun]

No worries at all - all native species are harmless. We have, apparently, been invaded by another variety (wholly green, and no dark spot at the end) which can harm bean crops. However, they appear only in autumn when most bean crops are over so, again, no worries.

Enjoy 'em - they're actually very attractive insects.

That's a relief. You're right, they're fun to watch. I've seen some really interesting insects in the allotment this year which is very encouraging - makes you feel as though the organic approach and planting for wildlife is paying off.

It's particularly rewarding when you can see the results: watching a bean plant get covered in blackfly, two days later it's covered in ladybirds, two days after that - no blackfly!

[Rod in Japan]

My cat tried to eat one and at the time we didn't know what it was that made him go completely beserk and start foaming at the mouth.......

Stink bug anecdote 2:

When we moved to the country, we heard many stories of snakes getting into people's houses and into their things. One morning, I picked my trousers up off the floor where I had hung them up the night before, and put them on. I felt a wriggling sensation in the thigh area, immediately thought "Snake!", and started thumping the area really hard in an effort to stun it before it could bite me. Whereupon the aroma of abused stink bug rose up from my trousers ... and stayed with me all day.

There are several other bugs that have the same angular look and bow legs as shield bugs, and they congregate especially on green peppers. I can never detect any harm from them though.

[Millymollymandy]

I picked my trousers up off the floor where I had hung them up the night before