Stinky Garden Pests

Early in the gardening season, we discovered several shield bugs munching on our beautiful, large-leafed zucchini plants. Christian did a quick internet search and we set to work exterminating.  I was pretty freaked out about touching them but, with gloves on, we picked them up, threw them in a coffee can and squirted them with rubbing alcohol.  Yep, it did the trick.  I felt righteous in my wrath. This was an easy remedy if anyone is looking to rid themselves of these stinky bugs.

We were able to keep a pretty good hold on the shield bugs, but vine borers led to our zucchini plants ultimate demise.  In hopes of having an organic garden next year, has anyone been successful at removing the caterpillars in a plant that survived?  I am wondering if I need to go back to using Sevin.

~ Katrina

Editor's note: Apparently there are about a gazillion insects that look like the Shield Bug (a.k.a. stink bug).  I'm sure a serious bug nerd would laugh at my stink bug ignorance, but we really had a hard time determining whether or not to murder all these bug in rubbing alcohol.  The most intelligent note I found on the internet said the best way to tell the difference between a zucchini-destroying stink bug and the beneficial "soldier bug" was to squish one.  The stink bugs will smell bad.  Clever.