Courtesy : Surendra Dara
The Bagrada bug is still fairly new to California, first being seen in 2008, and it can go by two different names. Cooperative Extension Farm Advisor Surendra Dara showed pest control advisors at a recent California Association of Pest Control Advisors seminar how fast this bug is spreading. Dara says the Bagrada bug feeds on the plants directly, but it’s the way populations feed together that is causing all the damage.
The pest, also known as the painted bug, is becoming a bigger problem in the state. Dara has been running a trial on the pest due to the increased infestations and says like a lot of other pests, good management of this beetle involves healthy crops.