Blog by Michelle Schlegel
My most favorite leafy green to eat has to be Swiss Chard. Last year, I planted a few 6-packs of “Rainbow chard”. They have been growing beautifully, and I have managed to keep the earwigs and aphids at bay. Wanting some with dinner, I went out to pick. Some of my beautiful chard leaves had holes and bite marks on them. Upon inspection, I found some larger brown bugs. Getting closer, they were actually ‘smart’ enough to scoot around the backside of the leaf to hide! Then, the thing FLIES past me and buzzes my head! It is eating my chard, can hide from me, AND it has wings!? Now what infestation do I have???
I was able to get a picture before it took off. This bug is in the same family as the Leaf-Footed bug, ruining some of my Pomegranates. Its official name is Centrocorus variegatus. They predominantly suck on plant juices but will also eat tender leaves. I do not want to spray the leaves that I eat to deter or kill them. So, I will patiently and carefully approach them to smack them into a bucket of soapy water. Thankfully, their population is reducing.
