PREVENT dreaded cucumber beetle?

[noodles777]

I just planted some cucumbers, watermelons, straightneck and butternut squash. I seem to get every pest possible so I was looking into different pests and solutions. I'm really afraid of this cucmber beelte it sounds like I just planted a feast for them! Is there a way to prevent them? Most of what I've read says when you see them to try diff soaps/oils. I'd like to stay on the organic side but I seem to have a real problem with bugs. Any prevention tips would greatly be appreciated, is there something that they really don't like that I could put near by? I don't have a lot of room though

[mccolgan1]

i to find this intresting and want to know. i recenly planted some cucmbr and its in my greenhouse atmo but will be out soon. i will not use pesticides or chemicles. i use old wives tales to counter bugs eny help would be apreshiated.

[cynthia_h]

From The Organic Gardener's Handbook of Natural Insect and Disease Control (1992):

"Remove and destroy crop residues where adults overwinter; rotate garden crops with cover crops such as alfalfa; cover seedlings or plants with floating row cover, hand-pollinating covered squash family plants; apply parasitic nematodes to soil weekly to control larvae..."

Maybe one or more of these methods will be of use. My yard, even though it's in Sunset Zone 17, is too cool to grow cucumbers...so I have no personal recommendations to add.

Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9