Gardeners beware! Kudzu bugs are here!

                Local gardeners need to keep their eyes open for Kudzu Bugs, also known as the bean plataspid.

According to the University of Florida Extension Office the Kudzu Bug was discovered in the Sopchoppy area of western Wakulla County last week populating a citrus tree. 

Kudzu bugs are native to East Asia and were first detected in northeastern Georgia in October 2009.

They have quickly spread throughout much of the southeast.

These pests are excellent hitchhikers which will cling to people and vehicles moving through an infested area.

They are also good fliers and can travel long distances.

They kind of look like beetles but they are a nuisance stink bug which secrete a foul odor and are capable of staining a variety of surfaces.

They like eating kudzu, but will also move into other crops such as soybeans, green beans and other legumes.

In its native habitat, there are up to three generations of these pests per year.

In the warmer latitudes of north Florida the reproduction rate may exceed the recorded rate in Asia.

You can learn more about the bugs at the official Kudzu Bug Website at kudzubug.org.

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