Kudzu insects are a unique pest species that have a distinctive color and original shape. If you have a problem with these pests, you should follow specific tips to eliminate them and prevent their new appearance.
What Is A Kudzu Bug?
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As already mentioned, a kudzu insect is a pest species with a distinctive shape and color. They have piercing mouth parts that they use to pierce their food.
Their name is because they feed on kudzu vines, but some studies claim that they can feed on other things. It is known by different names such as globular stink bug, kudzu beetle, lablab bug, black kudzu bug, Japanese kudzu, and bean plataspid.
Large numbers are crawling on the vine plants. They can use a scent to repel predators such as stink bugs.
Even if you kill a swarm of kudzu insects, they may be able to return later. They are insects that can be difficult to prevent and control, so you must use various sprays, repellants that are natural to be able to eliminate these insects.
These insects have a different shape, but some people can mistake it for a beetle. They can vary in color from moldy green to tan colored kudzu. They have six legs and a pair of antennae, their body is ovular, and they have a piercing mouthpiece with a beak shape.
They look like globular shields seen from behind. They are usually 4-6mm long, and their eyes are bulging with blotchy coloration all over their back. They have a pair of wings that are semimembranous and are similar to beetles that are too large.
They are similar to cigarette beetles and carpet beetles but in different sizes. They are wider in the lower afternoon than in the upper part. Also, it has a seam that goes through the plate. As they have a rounded abdomen, they are often mistaken for beetles.
There is a wide variety of kudzu insects, but the best known are Japanese kudzu and black kudzu.
These insects usually come out in the afternoon when temperatures warm up. You should know that kudzu insects are not active in the morning or evenings that are cool.
They hibernate for the coldest months, and when temperatures rise, they multiply in overwhelming numbers. Kudzu insects are capable of creating a disturbing and repulsive odor when something bothers them.
Where Do Kudzu Bugs Hide?
When it is winter, these insects will take refuge inside your house and become a pest. Among the places where they can hide are:
- Cracks around your home
- Cracks at its base
- Holes in the walls
- Indentations
- Under furniture
- Inside objects
- Crawling spaces
- Penthouses
- Vent holes or gutters
- Storage areas
- Basements
When they are outdoors, they feed and lay their eggs from summer to fall. Among the most common areas looking outdoors to hide in the winter are:
- Inside the litter
- Under the rocks
- Behind the siding
- Around the bark
- Inside cracks and crevices
When the temperature rises are where they will begin to reproduce and feed, this season is when people start to notice these insects. These insects are generally attracted to light colors such as white walls, countertops, furniture, sofas, and walls.
If you feel that the infestation is huge, you should call a pest specialist to safely help you with your problem.
These insects have a pierceable mouthpiece to suck nutrients from the vine. The adult kudzu insects feed on the stems, and the nymphs eat the veins of the leaves. Kudzu can also eat soybeans and other types of legumes, if you have these plants, you should be careful with these insects.
Other plants that kudzu insects eat are black-eyed peas, sweet white clover, perennial peanut, white clover, alfalfa, black bean, soybean, among other plants.
What Problems Do Kudzu Bugs Cause?
Among the main problems with the presence of these insects are that they eat soybeans and some commercial crops. This is a problem that can affect producers and farmers, but they must be eliminated anywhere they are pests.
Want to know if you have kudzu bugs? You will notice it by the large number of insects that are produced. Also, you may see some telltale signs that an infestation exists. When you notice that the plants in your garden are eaten, you probably have kudzu bugs.
You can see these insects swarming your walls, furniture, and your floors. You may also notice a strong, unpleasant, foul odor when these insects are disturbed. If you have a few, they do not smell, but if you have a swarm in your house or your garden, you will tell them by the smell they release. With this, you can identify that you have kudzu insects in your home.
If you happen to see a ton of them in your home, you should find out how to remove them naturally and effectively.
Read More Bug Articles: How To Get Rid Of Bed Bugs In Carpet
How To Get Rid Of Kudzu Bugs Naturally?
Among the methods you can use are essential oils. If you are on a farm, you can use pesticides because it can be on a large scale. But if you are in a house, the problem may be smaller, and you can use other methods.
You can use the following tips:
Prune your plants
If you get the plant they are feeding on, you can consider pruning it or just eradicating it. If they no longer have the plant they feed on, they will go elsewhere or starve.
Use essential oils
If you have a single plant, you can use essential oils as a natural repellent method. Among the oils you can use are: tea tree, lavender, peppermint and you can find them anywhere. To use it, add some drops to your water-filled spray bottle.
A mixture with a strong essential oil smell must remain for it to take effect. If you want more power, you can use less water; you can use various oils to see which one has the best result.
May attract other predators.
Kudzu bugs taste very ugly, but some natural predators eat these bugs. Among these predators are the big-eyed bug, spiny soldier bug, spider, ladybug, and exotic ant.
How To Prevent Kudzu Bugs?
When you have already eliminated the kudzu insects, you must prevent their new appearance. Among the tips you can follow are:
- You must do basic maintenance. You should always check your home and do a good cleaning.
- You should also seal the cracks and crevices in your home and seal the gaps in the walls, doors, windows, and fireplace.
- Repair shingles and foundation slabs and anything that is broken
- You must seal the gaps between cables, pipes, and any gaps in the utility line.
- Keep your plants in good condition and under control.
- Use natural repellants around plants.
- You should check patio doors and screens before leaving your home to prevent them from entering.
