Garden Bugs
Have you or your children noticed some pretty little black bugs with yellow or white spots that sort of look like ladybugs in your vege garden lately?
They could be on your bean plants, tomatoes, grape vines or various other plants.
The bad news is that they aren't ladybugs or even pretty in any way. They are in fact the nymphs of the green vegetable bug (Nezara viridula), a sap sucking bug that will suck the life out of your tomatoes, beans, grape vines and all sorts of other garden plants. The green vegetable bug is also known as, green stink beetle as they emit a pungent smell when crushed and also shield bugs because of their shape in adult form. I have found that fly spray seems to upset the little buggers in their nymph form which seem to be active now, and but of course there are more active remedies available from your favourite garden shop. Always check under leaves for the eggs which will be in a group of about 60 and rub them off. The green vegetable bug (Nezara viridula) has been in NZ since1944.
PLEASE NOTE, these are not the brown marmorated stink bug/Asian stink bug that MPI want reported to them if seen.
nzacfactsheets.landcareresearch.co.nz...
Have you got New Zealand's best shed? Show us and win!
Once again, Resene and NZ Gardener are on the hunt for New Zealand’s best shed! Send in the photos and the stories behind your man caves, she sheds, clever upcycled spaces, potty potting sheds and colourful chicken coops. The Resene Shed of the Year 2026 winner receives $1000 Resene ColorShop voucher, a $908 large Vegepod Starter Pack and a one-year subscription to NZ Gardener. To enter, tell us in writing (no more than 500 words) why your garden shed is New Zealand’s best, and send up to five high-quality photos by email to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz. Entries close February 23, 2026.
Poll: 🤖 What skills do you think give a CV the ultimate edge in a robot-filled workplace?
The Reserve Bank has shared some pretty blunt advice: there’s no such thing as a “safe” job anymore 🛟😑
Robots are stepping into repetitive roles in factories, plants and warehouses. AI is taking care of the admin tasks that once filled many mid-level office jobs.
We want to know: As the world evolves, what skills do you think give a CV the ultimate edge in a robot-filled workplace?
Want to read more? The Press has you covered!
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52.2% Human-centred experience and communication
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15% Critical thinking
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29.9% Resilience and adaptability
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2.9% Other - I will share below!
Brain Teaser of the Day 🧠✨ Can You Solve It? 🤔💬
Make a hearty dish. Take just half a minute. Add four parts of kestrel. Then just add one. What have you made?
(Trev from Silverdale kindly provided this head-scratcher ... thanks, Trev!)
Do you think you know the answer? Simply 'Like' this post and we'll post the answer in the comments below at 2pm on the day!
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