While picking the tomatoes this morning, I noticed a green bug. In fact, twice I picked up green bugs that had fallen to the ground and replaced them on the tomato plant. When I did my research, I realized that these green bugs are actually green stink bugs. I went back to the tomato plants to find them again to take a photo but just as I'd lined one up it flew off. So green stinky bugs that fly. The actual damage they inflict seems minimal for the home gardener, and is mainly it seems an irritation value in that they pierce the skin and leave a yellow 'halo' blemish on the skin. Harmless but perhaps not to be encouraged. They are stinky if held too long so will seek an organic solution to the problem and look for eggs, though I think given that they fly I might not actually find the eggs on the tomatoes themselves. Eggs are drum shaped with circular lids and females lay them on clusters on leaves. With any luck, the parasitic wasps will have found them, and laid their own eggs into them in which case the eggs will be dark. More hunting in the garden!
We are incredulous that we still have tomatoes being produced. All of our tomato plants grew from the compost (emerging about April last year in a patch where we had been hoping to grow some flowers), fruiting for the first time at the start of October. Some plants are still going, though the season is drawing to a close (it's mid April - so these plants have been going for about 12 months!!!). We'll miss the steady stream of tomatoes so exploring options for winter tomato plants.
