Yellow beetle with black spots

[marley01]

Hi, It's me with another problem again. lol. I keep finding these yellow beetles with black spots in my zucchini plants. I squish them by hand, and if they fly off I even chase them through the entire yard trying to kill them. I think they are making the roots of my plants rot and the leaves wilt and die and fall off. I found 3-4 clearly infected plants tonight and ripped them all out and threw in the trash. I also noticed these on one of my sunflowers.. can they kill them too?

My zucchini are right next to watermelon and I don't know if I should pull all the zucchini, because then they would feast on my melons instead?? Grrrrrrrr! The other zucchini plants still have healthy leaves and are producing fruit, although much less than beginning of season. Today I went to harvest one that looked good from the top but the under side had about half inch circular holes in it and one of those yellow beetles in it. Are there any remedies for these beetles?? Anything I can spray to stop them but not hurt the bees that pollinate?? I still want to get squash and don't want to lose the melons too that aren't even ripe yet...
Thanks for any advice!!

[Fig3825]

I have cucumber beetles all over my garden. I wouldn't call it an infestation, I just find them and squish them. I haven't seen a ton of damage thus far. They like to hide down in the squash and cucumber blossoms. They are persistent. I do, however, take pleasure in flicking them to their deaths while they are trying to 'reproduce' right there on my leaves...in plain sight...with no sense of decency... They pay for their voyeurism!

I think it takes non-organic sprays to kill them because the soap spray doesn't seem to do much.

[garden5]

Those are [url=https://www.google.com/search?q=cucumber+bug&hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=NJb&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&prmd=ivns&source=lnms&tbm=isch&ei=hQU4Tt28I6Ln0QHXstDIAw&sa=X&oi=mode_link&ct=mode&cd=2&ved=0CBQQ_AUoAQ&biw=1366&bih=588]cucumber beetles[/url].

I've noticed a few so far this year, but like Gix, I haven't seen much damage from them.

[Fig3825]

One thing about the cucumber beetles...I find them hard to distinguish from Corn Rootworm adults... Is there a tell that you can look for to differentiate the two? And I know the obvious, one has spots and one has stripes, but I'd swear I've seen Cucumber Beetles with spots rather than stripes - but maybe I'm mistaken...

[url=https://demandware.edgesuite.net/sits_na/dw/image/v2/AABF_PRD/on/demandware.static/Sites-Gardeners-Site/Sites-Gardeners-Library/default/v1312203818526/Photos/corn_rootworm.jpg?sh=300]Corn Rootworm[/url]

[url=https://demandware.edgesuite.net/sits_na/dw/image/v2/AABF_PRD/on/demandware.static/Sites-Gardeners-Site/Sites-Gardeners-Library/default/v1312203818526/Photos/cucumber_beetle.jpg?sh=300]Cucumber Beetle[/url]

[DoubleDogFarm]

Species undecimpunctata (Spotted Cucumber Beetle)

Other Common Names
Southern Corn Rootworm (in the larval stage

https://bugguide.net/node/view/456#names

Hope this helps
Eric