I discovered a dozen small insects on my plants. T...
Oyzipharstarted grow question 1mo ago
I discovered a dozen small insects on my plants. They do not eat or suck sap from the plants. Does anyone know what kind of insects these might be? Could they be members of the Heteroptera family?
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Nocone_Purpleanswered grow question 1mo ago
You are absolutely right, these are indeed nymphs belonging to the Heteroptera family, specifically shield bug or stink bug nymphs.
While the adults and older nymphs do pierce plant stems to suck sap, they rarely cause severe damage to cannabis unless present in massive numbers. Since there are only a dozen of them, the easiest and safest method is to simply brush them off the plant manually into a bucket of soapy water. Keep a close eye on the undersides of the nearby leaves for any clusters of geometric, barrel-shaped eggs so you can remove them before they hatch. Using organic treatments like Neem oil or insecticidal soap will easily deter them if you notice their population starting to grow.
GrowerMarioanswered grow question 1mo ago
Hi Oyziphar, those look very much like nymphs of some type of 'stink bug' or shield bug, which are indeed part of the Heteroptera suborder. Even if you don't see them eating the plant right now, many of these bugs are sap-suckers at certain stages or can become pests later on. It’s definitely a good idea to keep a close eye on them and maybe remove them manually if their numbers start to increase. Better safe than sorry!
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Bud_Wiseranswered grow question 1mo ago
They look like stink bug nymphs
They are harmless early on but as they grow they feed on plant tissue and considered a garden pest. If the number is small you can pick them by hand
Their feeding leaves a little brown areas directly around the spots they feed on
If there is a large number and your plant is not in flower yet insecticidal soap or neem oil will do the trick
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Miketamaanswered grow question 1mo ago
Spot on! Those are almost certainly Nezara viridula (Southern Green Stink Bug). If you found a whole bunch of small ones clustered together, they’re probably nymphs that just hatched.
​That’s why you don't see chewed leaves—they don't bite the foliage, they use a tiny straw to pierce the stems and suck sap. A few adults won't kill your run, but a dozen nymphs can become a pain once they start targeting the stems or developing buds.
​I’d just pick them off by hand or give the plant a gentle shake to get rid of them now before they grow up.
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