I have a infestation of Cucumber beetles. They are the striped kind...
[img]https://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y287/FroggieStyle/Assholebeetle.jpg[/img]
What is the best way to get rid of these that really works well? Googling solutions did not look promising.
-
rainbowgardener
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 25279
- Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 6:04 pm
- Location: TN/GA 7b
Yup, if you have a back yard garden, not fields, hand picking is the simplest, most reliable thing. If you don't like squishing, just drop them in a bowl of detergent-water.
I just typed out a whole bunch of stuff about cucumber beetle control this morning:
https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=207623#207623
Find more by typing cucumber beetle into the Keyword Box that comes up when you click on Search the Forum in the horizontal menu above.
I just typed out a whole bunch of stuff about cucumber beetle control this morning:
https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=207623#207623
Find more by typing cucumber beetle into the Keyword Box that comes up when you click on Search the Forum in the horizontal menu above.
-
windsoryardner
- Newly Registered
- Posts: 1
- Joined: Tue Jun 25, 2013 6:13 pm
HI,
I help manage a community garden and we have had clouds of spotted and striped cucumber beetles in the 3 years past. very depressing, especially for beginner gardeners who were planting late.
This year, our 4th year, we have almost no damage.
Here is what we did differently.
1. We watered in beneficial nematodes in May. first we watered the whole garden well.We had about 3000 square feet of beds so we divided the packet of nematodes into 4 parts and diluted each 1/4 in a 35 gallon trash can full of water. one of our members stirred the water and nematodes with a tennis racket to keep them evenly dispersed while everyone else filled watering cans and watered in the beds. We figured that we had 72 beds so we divided 140 gallons of water by 72 to figure out how many gallons of nematode water to put into each bed. It worked out perfectly. After that we had to water the beds daily for 2 weeks to keep them moist to make sure the nematodes stayed viable. iT was in the 90's early this year so that was a chore.
2. We placed water in the garden in many spots to promote bird activity. We now have lots of sparrows, mockingbirds, jays, and towhees scratching around through the beds and they must be eating something.
3. We purchased a case of sticky phermone traps and as soon as we saw 5 or more beetles in a bed with squash blossoms we set traps in those beds.
4. We came down and hand squished beetles early in the morning for about a week.
The difference in our garden is amazing this year. We never had a successive wave of beetles. They are definitely under control. We will definitely keep putting out water for birds and do the nematodes again.
Last year we weren't as good about how we applied. We didn't stir up the nematodes in the trash can and we didn't keep the beds moist for two weeks. And we were not ready to put up traps right away when we spotted the first beetles. I think the trick is to break up the population cycle in the first batch of beetles you see. That way you won't have to mess with row covers and vacuums like we did in the past.
I asked some local gardeners if this was just a real light year and they did not seem to think so. I think our multipronged approach worked well.
I help manage a community garden and we have had clouds of spotted and striped cucumber beetles in the 3 years past. very depressing, especially for beginner gardeners who were planting late.
This year, our 4th year, we have almost no damage.
Here is what we did differently.
1. We watered in beneficial nematodes in May. first we watered the whole garden well.We had about 3000 square feet of beds so we divided the packet of nematodes into 4 parts and diluted each 1/4 in a 35 gallon trash can full of water. one of our members stirred the water and nematodes with a tennis racket to keep them evenly dispersed while everyone else filled watering cans and watered in the beds. We figured that we had 72 beds so we divided 140 gallons of water by 72 to figure out how many gallons of nematode water to put into each bed. It worked out perfectly. After that we had to water the beds daily for 2 weeks to keep them moist to make sure the nematodes stayed viable. iT was in the 90's early this year so that was a chore.
2. We placed water in the garden in many spots to promote bird activity. We now have lots of sparrows, mockingbirds, jays, and towhees scratching around through the beds and they must be eating something.
3. We purchased a case of sticky phermone traps and as soon as we saw 5 or more beetles in a bed with squash blossoms we set traps in those beds.
4. We came down and hand squished beetles early in the morning for about a week.
The difference in our garden is amazing this year. We never had a successive wave of beetles. They are definitely under control. We will definitely keep putting out water for birds and do the nematodes again.
Last year we weren't as good about how we applied. We didn't stir up the nematodes in the trash can and we didn't keep the beds moist for two weeks. And we were not ready to put up traps right away when we spotted the first beetles. I think the trick is to break up the population cycle in the first batch of beetles you see. That way you won't have to mess with row covers and vacuums like we did in the past.
I asked some local gardeners if this was just a real light year and they did not seem to think so. I think our multipronged approach worked well.
-
rainbowgardener
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 25279
- Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 6:04 pm
- Location: TN/GA 7b
