cucumber beetle infestation - what to do?
 

This year we have a moderate stripped and spotted cucumber beetle
infestation. They are voracious, and devestate small plants, especially
beans. I've used insecticidal soap, but it only kills the ones it comes in
contact with. I tried some canola based spray, but it likewise only kills
the ones it comes in contact with. I pinch them when I see them, but they
are everywhere. I used Bug-B-Gone, which coats the leaves with poison, and
that worked good but you have to wonder where the poison residues are going.
Also, with the warm weather we have been having, my garden has exploded into
a jungle, and it's just not feasible to use any kind of toxic spray on all
of the things I have that they like to eat. They eat sunflowers, beans,
squash, okra, cucumbers, they especially love young pumpkin plants, and
tomatillos, and I have a lot of all of those. How else can these be safely
controlled on such a large scale?

cucumber beetle infestation - what to do?
 

"Ook" Ook Don't send me any freakin' spam at zootal dot com delete the
Don't send me any freakin' spam wrote in message
...
This year we have a moderate stripped and spotted cucumber beetle
infestation. They are voracious, and devestate small plants, especially
beans. I've used insecticidal soap, but it only kills the ones it comes in
contact with. I tried some canola based spray, but it likewise only kills
the ones it comes in contact with. I pinch them when I see them, but they
are everywhere. I used Bug-B-Gone, which coats the leaves with poison, and
that worked good but you have to wonder where the poison residues are
going. Also, with the warm weather we have been having, my garden has
exploded into a jungle, and it's just not feasible to use any kind of
toxic spray on all of the things I have that they like to eat. They eat
sunflowers, beans, squash, okra, cucumbers, they especially love young
pumpkin plants, and tomatillos, and I have a lot of all of those. How else
can these be safely controlled on such a large scale?


I'm not sure if cucumber beetles are tougher gangsters than Japanese
beetles, but last year, I got rid of the latter using garlic & cayenne
spray, home made. One day, the Japanese beetles were decimating my grape
vines. The next day, they were gone. Never saw them again. I did not
research their life cycle, so I can't say whether they would've been gone
without my spraying. Just reporting what I saw.

cucumber beetle infestation - what to do?
 

Hand picking is a good start, I know they like to drop when a shadow
passes over. Try passing a flame from a small propane torch over them
about enough to singe the hairs on your forearm will singe the
antennae off of them and stop them eating and breeding. You might
scorch a leaf until you get the hang of it but it does work.
The IPM folks use turks turban squash to monitor for them as they
prefer it, and once they find them they begin control methods.

If you want to experiment grind up a bunch of them in a blender and
make a spray containing their juices and pathogens.

cucumber beetle infestation - what to do?
 

It was cucumber beetles that made me stop using insecticides in my
garden. I had cucumber beetles so bad they were eating the silk on my
corn. I waited until close to sundown so that I wouldn't spray any bees
and covered the whole garden in Sevin. The next morning all the cucumber
beetles were dead, along with lady bugs and just about anything else
that got caught in my fumigation.

After vowing never to do that again, I stumbled across a way to get
cucumbers without the beetles. It isn't something that you can try right
away though. My ex-wife's grandparents lived three doors away from us.
They also had a garden, and I would go down and help them out every few
days. I noticed one day that while I had cucumber beetles on my plants,
they had none. I don't know what the difference was, but over a space of
maybe 100 yards, there were no beetles to be found on their cucumbers.
So I quit growing them in my garden and grew extra in theirs.

Check with your neighbors. Maybe someone is growing cucumbers without
beetles. If so, see what they have problems growing. Maybe you can grow
a bit extra of what they can't in trade for them growing extra cucumbers
for you. At the very least, you will have made a new friend who has
something in common with you...gardening.

cucumber beetle infestation - what to do?
 

"JP" wrote in message
et...
It was cucumber beetles that made me stop using insecticides in my garden.
I had cucumber beetles so bad they were eating the silk on my corn. I
waited until close to sundown so that I wouldn't spray any bees and
covered the whole garden in Sevin. The next morning all the cucumber
beetles were dead, along with lady bugs and just about anything else that
got caught in my fumigation.

That is a problem here - my daughters released a bag of ladybugs a while
back, and we have ladybugs *everywhere*. Too bad they don't eat the beetles!
So, if I sterilized the garden, they would never forgive me. My nine year
old will stop everything to rescue a ladybug from the sidewalk or swimming
pool.

cucumber beetle infestation - what to do?
 

On Jul 15, 9:35 am, JP wrote:
It was cucumber beetles that made me stop using insecticides in my
garden. I had cucumber beetles so bad they were eating the silk on my
corn. I waited until close to sundown so that I wouldn't spray any bees
and covered the whole garden in Sevin. The next morning all the cucumber
beetles were dead, along with lady bugs and just about anything else
that got caught in my fumigation.

After vowing never to do that again, I stumbled across a way to get
cucumbers without the beetles. It isn't something that you can try right
away though. My ex-wife's grandparents lived three doors away from us.
They also had a garden, and I would go down and help them out every few
days. I noticed one day that while I had cucumber beetles on my plants,
they had none. I don't know what the difference was, but over a space of
maybe 100 yards, there were no beetles to be found on their cucumbers.
So I quit growing them in my garden and grew extra in theirs.

Check with your neighbors. Maybe someone is growing cucumbers without
beetles. If so, see what they have problems growing. Maybe you can grow
a bit extra of what they can't in trade for them growing extra cucumbers
for you. At the very least, you will have made a new friend who has
something in common with you...gardening.


What a great post. Someone who learned from his/her mistake and
came up with a terrific solution that benefits all, including the
insects! Thanks for letting us know of your experience, JP.
( you made my day)
Emilie

cucumber beetle infestation - what to do?
 

"mleblanca" wrote in message
oups.com...
On Jul 15, 9:35 am, JP wrote:
It was cucumber beetles that made me stop using insecticides in my
garden. I had cucumber beetles so bad they were eating the silk on my
corn. I waited until close to sundown so that I wouldn't spray any bees
and covered the whole garden in Sevin. The next morning all the cucumber
beetles were dead, along with lady bugs and just about anything else
that got caught in my fumigation.

After vowing never to do that again, I stumbled across a way to get
cucumbers without the beetles. It isn't something that you can try right
away though. My ex-wife's grandparents lived three doors away from us.
They also had a garden, and I would go down and help them out every few
days. I noticed one day that while I had cucumber beetles on my plants,
they had none. I don't know what the difference was, but over a space of
maybe 100 yards, there were no beetles to be found on their cucumbers.
So I quit growing them in my garden and grew extra in theirs.

Check with your neighbors. Maybe someone is growing cucumbers without
beetles. If so, see what they have problems growing. Maybe you can grow
a bit extra of what they can't in trade for them growing extra cucumbers
for you. At the very least, you will have made a new friend who has
something in common with you...gardening.


What a great post. Someone who learned from his/her mistake and
came up with a terrific solution that benefits all, including the
insects! Thanks for letting us know of your experience, JP.
( you made my day)
Emilie


I agree, it's a great idea. I need to find some neighbors that like
tomatillos, I still have a hundred or so growing here and there...

cucumber beetle infestation - what to do?
 

On Jul 15, 12:13 am, "Ook" Ook Don't send me any freakin' spam at
zootal dot com delete the Don't send me any freakin' spam wrote:
This year we have a moderate stripped and spotted cucumber beetle
infestation. They are voracious, and devestate small plants, especially
beans. I've used insecticidal soap, but it only kills the ones it comes in
contact with. I tried some canola based spray, but it likewise only kills
the ones it comes in contact with. I pinch them when I see them, but they
are everywhere. I used Bug-B-Gone, which coats the leaves with poison, and
that worked good but you have to wonder where the poison residues are going.
Also, with the warm weather we have been having, my garden has exploded into
a jungle, and it's just not feasible to use any kind of toxic spray on all
of the things I have that they like to eat. They eat sunflowers, beans,
squash, okra, cucumbers, they especially love young pumpkin plants, and
tomatillos, and I have a lot of all of those. How else can these be safely
controlled on such a large scale?

Check into "neem". It's been getting popular in the organic gardening
world for a few years now. Comes from an Indian tree. Apparently,
people in India just take it as a tonic, also. Anyway, there are a lot
of neem preparations around these days. i even saw some in Home Depot.

cucumber beetle infestation - what to do?
 

Check into "neem". It's been getting popular in the organic gardening
world for a few years now. Comes from an Indian tree. Apparently,
people in India just take it as a tonic, also. Anyway, there are a lot
of neem preparations around these days. i even saw some in Home Depot.


I have so many bugs now, mostly beneficial, I'm hesitant to do anything. My
garden has turned into a forest, and the cucumber beetles can't hurt it any.
I'm concerned that they will breed most prolifically - I need something that
kills them and not the other bugs. My daughters would never forgive me for
killing so much as one ladybug.

cucumber beetle infestation - what to do?
 

In article ,
"Ook" Ook Don't send me any freakin' spam at zootal dot com delete
the Don't send me any freakin' spam wrote:

Check into "neem". It's been getting popular in the organic gardening
world for a few years now. Comes from an Indian tree. Apparently,
people in India just take it as a tonic, also. Anyway, there are a lot
of neem preparations around these days. i even saw some in Home Depot.


I have so many bugs now, mostly beneficial, I'm hesitant to do anything. My
garden has turned into a forest, and the cucumber beetles can't hurt it any.
I'm concerned that they will breed most prolifically - I need something that
kills them and not the other bugs. My daughters would never forgive me for
killing so much as one ladybug.

Fingers work just a small squeeze. Consider ant lions

http://www.ivyhall.district96.k12.il...s/antlion.html

We have them about but I have no idea if you can purchase these monsters.

Bill

--

S Jersey USA Zone 5 Shade
http://www.ocutech.com/ High tech Vison aid
This article is posted under fair use rules in accordance with
Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, and is strictly for the educational
and informative purposes. This material is distributed without profit.

cucumber beetle infestation - what to do?
 

"William Wagner" wrote in message
...
In article ,
"Ook" Ook Don't send me any freakin' spam at zootal dot com delete
the Don't send me any freakin' spam wrote:

Check into "neem". It's been getting popular in the organic gardening
world for a few years now. Comes from an Indian tree. Apparently,
people in India just take it as a tonic, also. Anyway, there are a lot
of neem preparations around these days. i even saw some in Home Depot.


I have so many bugs now, mostly beneficial, I'm hesitant to do anything.
My
garden has turned into a forest, and the cucumber beetles can't hurt it
any.
I'm concerned that they will breed most prolifically - I need something
that
kills them and not the other bugs. My daughters would never forgive me
for
killing so much as one ladybug.

Fingers work just a small squeeze. Consider ant lions

http://www.ivyhall.district96.k12.il...s/antlion.html

We have them about but I have no idea if you can purchase these monsters.

Bill


I've been pinching them when I see them, and I may have to be satisfied with
that, as I don't want to sterilize the garden. I think our soil is too wet
for ant lions. We had them everywhere in Vegas, and we used to enjoy feeding
ants to them, but I've never seen them around here.

cucumber beetle infestation - what to do?
 

In article ,
"Ook" Ook Don't send me any freakin' spam at zootal dot com delete
the Don't send me any freakin' spam wrote:

"William Wagner" wrote in message
...
In article ,
"Ook" Ook Don't send me any freakin' spam at zootal dot com delete
the Don't send me any freakin' spam wrote:

Check into "neem". It's been getting popular in the organic gardening
world for a few years now. Comes from an Indian tree. Apparently,
people in India just take it as a tonic, also. Anyway, there are a lot
of neem preparations around these days. i even saw some in Home Depot.


I have so many bugs now, mostly beneficial, I'm hesitant to do anything.
My
garden has turned into a forest, and the cucumber beetles can't hurt it
any.
I'm concerned that they will breed most prolifically - I need something
that
kills them and not the other bugs. My daughters would never forgive me
for
killing so much as one ladybug.

Fingers work just a small squeeze. Consider ant lions

http://www.ivyhall.district96.k12.il...s/antlion.html

We have them about but I have no idea if you can purchase these monsters.

Bill


I've been pinching them when I see them, and I may have to be satisfied with
that, as I don't want to sterilize the garden. I think our soil is too wet
for ant lions. We had them everywhere in Vegas, and we used to enjoy feeding
ants to them, but I've never seen them around here.

You don't want ethnic cleansing, you want diversity.
--
Billy
http://angryarab.blogspot.com/

cucumber beetle infestation - what to do?
 

I've been pinching them when I see them, and I may have to be satisfied
with
that, as I don't want to sterilize the garden. I think our soil is too
wet
for ant lions. We had them everywhere in Vegas, and we used to enjoy
feeding
ants to them, but I've never seen them around here.

You don't want ethnic cleansing, you want diversity.
--

Lol, don't get me started :-). In this case, I want highly discriminatory,
intolerant, profiling type of racial genocide :D:D:D.