Leaffooted Bug & Stink Bug on Figs: Damage & Control

Quick Answer

Leaffooted bugs (Leptoglossus) and stink bugs, including the invasive brown marmorated stink bug, puncture developing figs with piercing mouthparts and inject enzymes that collapse the flesh inside. Figs can look normal outside but have spongy, off-flavoured pockets within. Control them by hand-picking adults into soapy water, netting the tree during ripening, clearing overwintering habitat, and treating trunk and scaffold branches in late spring before fruit sets. Kaolin clay on fruit also deters them.

These are the pests that ruin figs from the inside. The fruit looks fine on the branch, and only when you bite in do you find the damage. Because the harm is done invisibly as the fruit develops, prevention and exclusion matter more than reacting to what you can see.

What to Look For

The fruit signs come first: small sunken dimples or discoloured spots on the skin with no rot or mold present, and, when you cut the fig open, internal flesh around the spot that is spongy, water-soaked, or collapsed. Figs may have an off-flavour or watery pockets despite looking normal outside. As for the bugs themselves: brown, shield-shaped stink bugs on branches, bark, or fruit, and insects with distinctively leaf-shaped, flattened hind legs (the leaffooted bug).

What Causes It

Both bug groups feed by inserting piercing-sucking mouthparts into developing figs and injecting digestive enzymes that break down the internal tissue so they can drink it. That is what creates the spongy, collapsed pockets. They overwinter as adults in sheltered spots like brush piles, dense leaf litter, and weedy borders, then move onto ripening fruit in summer. The brown marmorated stink bug in particular has become a widespread invasive pest.

Is It Serious?

For the tree, no; for the crop, it can be frustrating, since affected figs are unpleasant to eat and the punctures can also admit souring organisms. The damage is usually patchy rather than total, but in a bad year with heavy bug pressure it can spoil a meaningful share of the harvest. Because the feeding is hidden, the payoff is in prevention rather than cure.

My Control Plan

Hand-pick adults wearing gloves and drop them into soapy water; both bugs release a pungent odour when disturbed, so gloves help.
Net the tree with fine mesh during ripening season to physically exclude the bugs from the fruit.
Reduce overwintering habitat. Clear brush piles, dense leaf litter, and weedy borders near the tree each autumn.
Treat early if pressure is heavy. Spray permethrin or bifenthrin on the trunk and scaffold branches in late spring, before fruit sets and before adults begin feeding.
Apply kaolin clay (Surround WP) to developing fruit for deterrence without harming beneficial insects.

⚠️ Timing beats reaction

By the time you see dimpled fruit, the damage is already done inside. The most effective controls, netting, habitat removal, and a pre-fruit-set treatment, all happen before the bugs start feeding. Get ahead of them rather than chasing damage.

Preventing It Next Season

Cut down overwintering habitat around the tree in autumn, net vulnerable trees before and during ripening, and scout for the bugs in late spring so you can act before fruit sets. Keeping the surrounding area tidy of the weedy, brushy cover these bugs shelter in makes a real difference to how many show up. Because their punctures open the door to souring, controlling them also helps protect fruit quality overall.

Not sure it’s bug damage? Internal fig pockets can overlap with souring. Check your tree’s symptoms against all 18 conditions with the free interactive tool.

Run the Symptom Checker

Frequently Asked Questions

What is making dimples and spongy spots in my figs?

Small sunken dimples or discoloured spots on the skin, with spongy, water-soaked, or collapsed flesh underneath when you cut the fig open, are classic leaffooted bug and stink bug damage. These bugs pierce the fruit and inject enzymes that break down the tissue, so a fig can look nearly normal outside but have off-flavour pockets inside.

How do I identify leaffooted bugs and stink bugs?

Leaffooted bugs are slender and have distinctive flattened, leaf-shaped hind legs. Stink bugs are broad and shield-shaped, including the invasive brown marmorated stink bug. Both release a strong pungent odour when disturbed, and both are found on branches, bark, and fruit. Seeing either on your tree during ripening is a warning to protect the crop.

How do I control leaffooted bugs on figs?

Hand-pick adults into soapy water wearing gloves, net the tree with fine mesh during ripening to physically exclude them, clear overwintering habitat like brush piles and leaf litter each autumn, and, if pressure is heavy, spray permethrin or bifenthrin on the trunk and scaffold branches in late spring before fruit sets. Kaolin clay on developing fruit also deters them.

Are figs with bug damage safe to eat?

The fruit is not toxic, but the punctured areas are spongy, off-flavoured, and can be watery or collapsed inside, so damaged figs are unpleasant rather than dangerous. Lightly affected figs can be eaten around the spot, while heavily damaged ones are best discarded, especially since the punctures can also let in souring organisms.

When is the best time to control these bugs?

Before they start feeding on fruit. A protective treatment on the trunk and scaffold branches in late spring, before fruit sets, is more effective than reacting once damage appears. Reducing overwintering habitat the previous autumn also lowers the population that shows up the next season.