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My wife noticed this bug in our raised garden beds. I know it's hard to see scale, but they were about the size of a very very small pebble, or a large grain of sand.

Is this bug a problem? Any ideas what type of bug this is? Thanks!

enter image description here

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  • I deleted my answer, I missed the part about the size of a grain of sand.
    – Escoce
    Apr 19, 2015 at 21:03
  • Ok maybe grain of sand is a bit of an exaggeration. Those are grains of sand in the picture. So possibly that'll give you some point of reference. Apr 19, 2015 at 21:56
  • Well then maybe I shouldn't have deleted my answer. One of my guesses was stink bug, but it's hard to tell from this picture.
    – Escoce
    Apr 19, 2015 at 22:08

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It looks like an aphid, but it's hard to tell without more clarity. Aphids in small numbers usually aren't a big problem, but they can get out of hand. They suck juices out of leaves and stems. They can spread plant diseases (which is not fun). Ants farm them (they carry them to plants so they can feed off the fallen juices or something, and they can clip the wings of winged aphids so they won't fly away, kind of like how farmers clip the wings on chickens).

Ladybugs, ladybug larva, lacewings, parasitic wasps, and other things can help to control aphids. You can attract these insects with the right plants, or you can buy them. Make sure you and everyone in your household knows what ladybug larvae look like--otherwise you might kill them thinking they're pests.

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Looks like a species of green shield bug, aka green stink bug. Palomena prasina if you wanna get technical. They are considered pests because, as it's name implies, it can produce a bad smell and can leave fruit tasting rotten.

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