I hope I explain this correctly. I have a friend that wants to put in a garden where an old garden existed. That is, American "garden", not European "garden". Vegetable garden. Anyway... the bed has old leaves and some weeds that have been infested with this red and black bug that we've concluded are called "box elder" bugs. She and I both are quite avid advocates of whole, organic farming, but at this point, I think she'd do anything to get rid of the bugs and put in her garden. Financially, it would help her family to have some fresh vegetables this summer.
So.... first... do you have any natural ways of getting rid of the bugs? And barring that, can she till up the ground with the bugs there and get rid of them that way? What will happen to the plants if she does that? Will the bugs eat the veggies? Last resort... put on some sort of chemical this year and plant next year. What sort of chemical would she use? She has small children, so this is truly a last resort, using chemicals.
I know nothing of gardening or even where to start on the web. She's in the Midwest of the United States, btw.
ETA: Garden in Europe usually means "lawn"... that's why the distinction.
So.... first... do you have any natural ways of getting rid of the bugs? And barring that, can she till up the ground with the bugs there and get rid of them that way? What will happen to the plants if she does that? Will the bugs eat the veggies? Last resort... put on some sort of chemical this year and plant next year. What sort of chemical would she use? She has small children, so this is truly a last resort, using chemicals.
I know nothing of gardening or even where to start on the web. She's in the Midwest of the United States, btw.
ETA: Garden in Europe usually means "lawn"... that's why the distinction.