These pests are devestating my cukes, squash, and are nibbling on my beans
and sunflowers. I don't want to use the chemicals because the plants are
starting to produce - my zuccinnis are exploding, cukes are blooming, etc.
What works with these things, but won't render the fruit of the plants
inedible?

In article , "Matthew
Reed" nospam at zootal dot com nospam says...
These pests are devestating my cukes, squash, and are nibbling on my beans
and sunflowers. I don't want to use the chemicals because the plants are
starting to produce - my zuccinnis are exploding, cukes are blooming, etc.
What works with these things, but won't render the fruit of the plants
inedible?




-- There are BT strains for beetles, but not sure if I have ever seen it
on the consumer market yet....pyrethrum spray has no residual so a
spraying at night should help a lot and not bother your harvest time.
Lar

"Lar" wrote in message
t...
In article , "Matthew
Reed" nospam at zootal dot com nospam says...
These pests are devestating my cukes, squash, and are nibbling on my
beans
and sunflowers. I don't want to use the chemicals because the plants
are
starting to produce - my zuccinnis are exploding, cukes are blooming,
etc.
What works with these things, but won't render the fruit of the plants
inedible?




-- There are BT strains for beetles, but not sure if I have ever seen it
on the consumer market yet....pyrethrum spray has no residual so a
spraying at night should help a lot and not bother your harvest time.
Lar

In my experience Pyrethrum has little effect on these beetles and the damage
they do.

"Matthew Reed" stated:
Cucumber beetles are devestating my cukes, squash,
and are nibbling on my beans and sunflowers. I
don't want to use the chemicals because the plants are
starting to produce - my zuccinnis are exploding, cukes
are blooming, etc.
What works with these things, but won't render the fruit
of the plants inedible?

Try planting some radish seeds in your cuke hills. Don't
pull the radish. Let the radish go to seed. Radish should
benefit the cucumber and repell the cucumber beetles.
Some helpfule links:

http://www.ghorganics.com/CucumberBeetles.htm
http://www.ommas-aarden.net/comp_plant.htm
http://www.minifarmhomestead.com/gar...anionplant.htm
http://plantfairnursery.com/new_page_2.htm

The above links were found by searching Yahoo for:
+"cucumber beetle" +radish

I initially looked "cucumber beetle" up in the index of a
book, which mentioned interplanting two or three radish
and letting them go to seed to help protect against these
beetles. Tansy is supposed to protect against cucumber
beetle as well, but I don't see it recommended as a
"companion plant" for cucumbers.

The book also suggests filling a small container 3/4 full
with water and adding some cooking oil to it to act as
a trap for cucumber beetles.

Hope this helps.

--
Jim Carlock
Post replies to the group.

In article , says...

"Lar" wrote in message
t...
In article , "Matthew
Reed" nospam at zootal dot com nospam says...
These pests are devestating my cukes, squash, and are nibbling on my
beans
and sunflowers. I don't want to use the chemicals because the plants
are
starting to produce - my zuccinnis are exploding, cukes are blooming,
etc.
What works with these things, but won't render the fruit of the plants
inedible?




-- There are BT strains for beetles, but not sure if I have ever seen it
on the consumer market yet....pyrethrum spray has no residual so a
spraying at night should help a lot and not bother your harvest time.
Lar

In my experience Pyrethrum has little effect on these beetles and the damage
they do.



Pyrethrum is a continual use product for population reduction. Many feel
a spray or two and they should have results they want. It only kills
what it contacts so the next few days a new population can make their
way to the crops and look to have done no good at all. A nightly
application for one to two weeks will show results and then start again
as needed.
--
Lar

"Jim Carlock" wrote in message
...
"Matthew Reed" stated:
Cucumber beetles are devestating my cukes, squash,
and are nibbling on my beans and sunflowers. I
don't want to use the chemicals because the plants are
starting to produce - my zuccinnis are exploding, cukes
are blooming, etc.
What works with these things, but won't render the fruit
of the plants inedible?

Try planting some radish seeds in your cuke hills. Don't
pull the radish. Let the radish go to seed. Radish should
benefit the cucumber and repell the cucumber beetles.
Some helpfule links:

http://www.ghorganics.com/CucumberBeetles.htm
http://www.ommas-aarden.net/comp_plant.htm
http://www.minifarmhomestead.com/gar...anionplant.htm
http://plantfairnursery.com/new_page_2.htm

The above links were found by searching Yahoo for:
+"cucumber beetle" +radish

I initially looked "cucumber beetle" up in the index of a
book, which mentioned interplanting two or three radish
and letting them go to seed to help protect against these
beetles. Tansy is supposed to protect against cucumber
beetle as well, but I don't see it recommended as a
"companion plant" for cucumbers.

The book also suggests filling a small container 3/4 full
with water and adding some cooking oil to it to act as
a trap for cucumber beetles.

Hope this helps.

--
Jim Carlock
Post replies to the group.

Thanks. It's too late to find seed for sale now. Someone else recommended
marigolds but they didn't repel the beetles and themselves became infested
with some kind of tiny insects.

"Lar" wrote in message
t...
In article , says...

"Lar" wrote in message
t...
In article , "Matthew
Reed" nospam at zootal dot com nospam says...
These pests are devestating my cukes, squash, and are nibbling
on my
beans
and sunflowers. I don't want to use the chemicals because the
plants
are
starting to produce - my zuccinnis are exploding, cukes are
blooming,
etc.
What works with these things, but won't render the fruit of the
plants
inedible?




-- There are BT strains for beetles, but not sure if I have ever
seen it
on the consumer market yet....pyrethrum spray has no residual so a
spraying at night should help a lot and not bother your harvest
time.
Lar

In my experience Pyrethrum has little effect on these beetles and the
damage
they do.



Pyrethrum is a continual use product for population reduction. Many feel
a spray or two and they should have results they want. It only kills
what it contacts so the next few days a new population can make their
way to the crops and look to have done no good at all. A nightly
application for one to two weeks will show results and then start again
as needed.
--
Lar

They spray was dripping off the beetles. When I went back in a few hours to
check they were all still there. I didn't appear to have killed any. They
decimated the crape myrtle and cannas last summer.

i dont know if this would help or not but maybe try using cayenne pepper just sprinkle it around and see what happens. i dont think the bugs will like that taste much once they decide to take a munch.
it shouldnt hurt your plants and from the sounds of things its well worth the try anyways cause otherwise u might end up getting your garden chewed right up . good luck, sockiescat

"Lar" wrote in message
t...
In article , says...

"Lar" wrote in message
t...
In article , "Matthew
Reed" nospam at zootal dot com nospam says...
These pests are devestating my cukes, squash, and are nibbling
on my
beans
and sunflowers. I don't want to use the chemicals because the
plants
are
starting to produce - my zuccinnis are exploding, cukes are
blooming,
etc.
What works with these things, but won't render the fruit of the
plants
inedible?




-- There are BT strains for beetles, but not sure if I have ever
seen it
on the consumer market yet....pyrethrum spray has no residual so a
spraying at night should help a lot and not bother your harvest
time.
Lar

In my experience Pyrethrum has little effect on these beetles and the
damage
they do.



Pyrethrum is a continual use product for population reduction. Many feel
a spray or two and they should have results they want. It only kills
what it contacts so the next few days a new population can make their
way to the crops and look to have done no good at all. A nightly
application for one to two weeks will show results and then start again
as needed.
--
Lar

What about pyrethrum with piperonly butoxide? The bottle says you can use it
on the same day as harvest.

In article , "Matthew
Reed" nospam at zootal dot com nospam says...

"Lar" wrote in message
t...
In article , says...

"Lar" wrote in message
t...
In article , "Matthew
Reed" nospam at zootal dot com nospam says...
These pests are devestating my cukes, squash, and are nibbling
on my
beans
and sunflowers. I don't want to use the chemicals because the
plants
are
starting to produce - my zuccinnis are exploding, cukes are
blooming,
etc.
What works with these things, but won't render the fruit of the
plants
inedible?




-- There are BT strains for beetles, but not sure if I have ever
seen it
on the consumer market yet....pyrethrum spray has no residual so a
spraying at night should help a lot and not bother your harvest
time.
Lar

In my experience Pyrethrum has little effect on these beetles and the
damage
they do.



Pyrethrum is a continual use product for population reduction. Many feel
a spray or two and they should have results they want. It only kills
what it contacts so the next few days a new population can make their
way to the crops and look to have done no good at all. A nightly
application for one to two weeks will show results and then start again
as needed.
--
Lar

What about pyrethrum with piperonly butoxide? The bottle says you can use it
on the same day as harvest.


It's the piperonly butoxide that makes pyrethrum effective...think
(thought) all pyrethrin/um products contained it.
--
Lar

It is said that the early bird gets the worm,
but it is the second mouse that gets the cheese.

"sockiescat" wrote in message
...
i dont know if this would help or not but maybe try using cayenne
pepper just sprinkle it around and see what happens. i dont think the
bugs will like that taste much once they decide to take a munch.
it shouldnt hurt your plants and from the sounds of things its well
worth the try anyways cause otherwise u might end up getting your
garden chewed right up . good luck, sockiescat

sockiescat

Cayenne pepper does not work against cucumber beetles. Besides most cucumber
beetles will be on the underside of the leaves so sprinkling anything on the
leaves has little affect. I've planted the recommended companion plants
(marigolds) and they had no effect either. The closest thing that worked was
using a physical barrier. It's a spun polyester fabric called Remay that
covers the plant. They still managed to get to some plants by either
burrowing through the soil or finding small openings in the covering. You
also need to remove the covering at some point for polination of the flowers
which could allow the beetles in.

-al sung
Rapid Realm Technology, Inc.
Hopkinton, MA
Zone 6a