Diabrotica undecimpunctata,Acalymma trivittatum,A. vittatum
As a gardener , it ’s a genuine bummer when pesky insects come along and munch on the effect of all your hard work .
And when it comes to arse around out a gardener after going to town on their crop , cucumber beetles are quite gifted .
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Pretty in appearing , yet pretty pesky in behaviour , cucumber beetles are not plague you should simply tolerate , lest you wish well to peril your cucurbit .
During an infestation , your crops can keep up feeding damage , suffer from scrawny ontogeny , and even declaration disease .
Therefore , it ’s critical to have some pest direction strategies in your back pocket , front pocket … or even your side pocket , if you happen to be clad in cargo shorts .
This pathfinder will tell you everything you need to know about cucumber vine beetles , detailing their visual aspect , their life cycle , the harm that they inflict on works , and how to handle them .
Take heed – your cucumber salads , pumpkin breads , and other melon or calabash - based dishes may very well depend on it .
Here ’s what we ’ll cover :
What You’ll Learn
What Are Cucumber Beetles?
Cucumber beetles are n’t merely a single specie , or even a single genus .
Rather , they ’re certain members of theAcalymmaandDiabroticagenera of Chrysomelidae that consume from cucumbers and other cucurbit , aka gourds .
Cucumber beetles wo n’t only plague members of theCucurbitaceae family , although cucurbit consumption is definitely what they ’re most known for .
They ’ll also go afterbeans , pea , eggplant , potatoes , yield trees such asapplesandpears , and even certain landscape ornamental .
Identification
The two most common kinds of cucumber mallet – the ones that you ’ll most likely have to trade with – are the spotty and striped salmagundi .
Both lay oval - shape , yellow to orange eggs , and the cream - colorise , groveling larvae of both have drear - colourize heads and a soundbox duration of about half an column inch .
The adult forms of both have disgraceful heads with yellow to unripened thoraxes , and are about a twenty-five percent - in long .
The difference of opinion between them are right there in the names .
The spottedDiabrotica undecimpunctatahas a yellow - green venter that ’s spread over with 12 black dots .
Its stripy colleagues have the same lily-livered - green abdomen , but they romp three black longitudinal lines instead of spots .
The exact species of striped cucumber mallet reckon on your location .
West of the Rocky Mountains in North America , you ’ll primarily run into the westerly striped cucumber mallet , orAcalymma trivittatum .
To the eastern United States of the Rockies , you ’ll most likely run into the regular ol’ striped cucumber beetle , orA. vittatum .
Cucumber Beetle Life Cycle
There are minor life cycle differences between species and locations , but here ’s a general precis of the process .
Let ’s bulge out with the eggs , which are laid in spring to summertime in clumps of 25 to 50 at the base of server and non - host plants likewise , as well as in the soil .
A few weeks afterwards , the larvae will hatch from their eggs to consume stem and stems .
After a few more weeks of feed and maturate through instars , the larvae will tunnel into the soil to pupate .
About 40 to 60 days after the eggs were initially lay , adults go forth from the soil to either feed on nearby flora or migrate N to flow .
bet on how cool the clime is , there could be one to three generations each growing time of year .
The yr ’s last propagation of adults overwinters in adjacent works detritus , nearby timber , or the soil until the start of the next year ’s growing time of year .
Damage to Plants
What does this have in mind for your garden ? Well , all of this munching does n’t on the dot depart your craw in the good human body .
Larvae take pungency out of the etymon and lower stem tissues of industrial plant , which can stunt ontogeny or down young specimen outright when population are great enough .
Even sorry are the grownup , who have a broader culinary palette – they ’ll have leaves , blooms , yield , and even pollen .
Besides somewhat castrate a works ’s reproduction by reducing yield solidification and interfering with bee pollination , this alimentation can get significant defoliation and reduced yield aesthetics .
As you could imagine , pretermit bits of tissue are pretty unfit for an being , where both healthandaesthetics are concerned . But that ’s just the physical alimentation damage .
As they fertilise , cucumber beetles can nibble up and subsequently broadcast a plethora of disfiguring , yield - reducing , and potentially fatal diseases such as squeeze mosaic computer virus , Cucumis melo necrotic spot virus , and Fusarium wilt disease .
An especially substantial and typically fatal illness is cucurbit bacterial wilt , which is have byErwinia tracheiphilabacteria and more commonly transmitted by stripy cucumber beetle , rather than their espy brother .
This disease result in wilting , leaf discoloration , and demise , all in a matter of days .
To name bacterial wilting , snip a suspect stem and cut it in half crosswise . After holding the cut halves together for 10 to 15 s , slowly separate them .
If the stem is infected , a mucous secretion - like bacterial ooze will hang between the two ending , with an appearing not unlike runny mozzarella .
Cucumber Beetle Control Methods
Trying to stop these pests from sprain your beautiful , tasty crops into their own personal Chow dynasty ? Totally perceivable .
But first and foremost , you ’ll require to keep a sharp oculus out for these pests , disregarding of the control methods you contrive to use .
Regularly inspect your plants for evidence of their presence , especially when new leave are growing in the seed leaf degree .
Aside from seeing the adult , feeding damage and clump of yellow to orange eggs are additional signs of an plague to be on the lookout for .
Cucumber Beetle Trap and Lure
To make the pests come to you , place traps early in the grow season . For a set of non - toxic , long - lasting , and poison - free traps and lures , lay eyes on these bad boysfrom Arbico Organics .
Now for some control counsel :
Cultural
How you arise and care for your plants can make a Brobdingnagian difference in pest management .
apart from in good order crop each of your garden specimens according to its specific need , there are sure conformation of control condition thatdon’tinvolve place setting traps , issue beneficial bug , or sprays .
Particular plant varieties are less likable to cucumber beetles than others .
For example , thecucumber cultivars‘Liberty ’ and ‘ Wisconsin SMR-58 ’ are n’t very appetizing to the blighter , and neither are the ‘ Makdimon ’ and ‘ bumpy Sweet’varieties of cantaloupe .
Much like pawns shielding the king in a secret plan of chess , trap crops – i.e. plants that certain pests find especially attractive – can be used to pull in enemies away from your more crucial plantings .
When you think of hole crop , you ’re probably reckon plants such asdillormarigolds .
But in the case of trapping cucumber beetles , you’re able to also place other , less - important members of the Cucurbitaceae away from your more vital cucurbit .
‘ Blue Hubbard ’ crush is a go - to gourd for using as a trap crop around the border of cucurbits . This variety is exceptionally attractive to cuke mallet , making it the perfect sweetener !
After cucumber beetle universe have develop on your ‘ Blue Hubbard ’ squash vine or other yap crops , it ’s essential to spray them with an insecticide to stop their forward motion towards the rest of your garden .
Technically , you have other choice besides sprays – some commercial-grade growers destroy pests in sand trap craw with weed flamers , while the crazy scientist type may suck up up the gadfly with prominent rucksack vacuum .
Both of these method may be overkill for most home base gardeners , but they are decidedly a mickle more merriment .
Weeds can also serve as hosts for these pests , so be hyper - wakeful about weed in and around your garden . An un - pulled weed today could very well become home to a cucumber beetle colony tomorrow .
A heavylayer of mulcharound establish specimen can discourage beetles from place eggs . If you have entree to weed killer - freestraw mulch , it can aid to keep population of these pests down and slow up their movement between plants .
Be sure to glean yield quickly and before they hit the earth , houseclean up nearby plant detritus , and regularly circumvolve the position of crops from dissimilar families .
The first two tricks will thin potential overwintering website , while the latter throws a twist into the pests ’ spirit cycle .
specimen infected with bacterial wilt should right away be removed from your garden and destroyed to halt further disease spread .
If this disease is in particular unreassuring in your area , the cucumber cultivar ‘ County Fair ’ sports some natural resistance .
Physical
In spring and fall , a light tilth of the soil can make short work of eggs and larva .
For a physical barrier , look at protecting your plant life withfloating row cover , making certain to put them out before cucumber beetles are expected to emerge in your expanse .
You may like to consult with your local agrarian extension to get a handle on the typical timing .
The received advice has been to leave these cover on until your cucurbit have started blossom . An asterisk , though : this may hold up the transmission of bacterial wilting , but it wo n’t inevitably eliminate it .
Research onmuskmelonsat Iowa State University find that delaying the removal of row covering by 10 days post - bloom protected plants from bacterial wilt forthe entire season .
These trial really reduced or entirely eliminated the need for insecticide spray .
But since your plants will most likely need pollination , it may need introduce humblebee or manus - pollinating under the row covers .
Some constituent growers do this by renting commercial humblebee beehive and placing them under book binding .
However , this may get expensive or prove to be unavailable in your area , and it would require shade the urtication with composition board , or perhaps a laundry hoop .
Plus , bee stings are n’t at all fun and extra training may be ask if you are n’t an expert apiarist already .
Another option is to just open up the words cover ends when plant bulge to blossom , but this runs the risk of exposure of allowing the bugs some circumscribed access to your crop along with the pollinators .
Choices , choices …
A quick note , for those unfamiliar : hand pollination is when a gardener manually transfers the pollen from a virile flower to the ovaries of female blooms , oftentimes with the aid of small , slender tools such as brushes or cotton plant swabs . If done correctly , hand pollenation can yield fruitswithoutthe aid of insects or wind .
For some counseling , check outour guide to hand - pollinating pumpkins .
Biological
In the gardening world , “ the enemy of my enemy is my friend ” some translate to : “ the gadfly of my pest is my pal . ”
Beneficial insectssuch as ladybug , assassin bugs , and green lacewing fly will hunt , belt down , and eat cuke beetle with extreme prejudice .
For a selection of good , beetle - bashing bugs , contain out this lineup of ’ emat Arbico Organics .
For some below - solid ground backup , good nematodescan help control cucumber beetles in the soil - bound larval level .
NemaSeek Beneficial Nematodes
contain millions ofHeterorhabditis bacteriophora , software package of NemaSeek beneficial nematode worm areavailable from Arbico Organics .
Organic Pesticides
If you find that at least a quarter of your young plant are infested with two or more beetles each , then it may be meter to apply an insect powder .
With older plants , you’re able to supervise for the demise of foliage . If you encounter that a twenty-five percent or more of the foliage is gone , then you should apply an insect powder .
Bonide Neem Oil
An effective low - impingement and constitutive insect powder to use is neem petroleum , which is available from Bonidevia Arbico Organics .
Spray every seven to 14 Day , or every five to seven days if an plague is heavy .
Neem vegetable oil can adversely feign bees , so be sure to spray when flora are not in bloom , and when bee are n’t out and buzzing about .
Another organic insecticide that you may use is kaolin clay . When applied to leaves , it leaves a residue that sticks to insects , which disorients and irritates them .
Applications of kaolin remains wo n’t provide full control on their own , but they cultivate well as part of anintegrated pest direction system .
Surround WP
Surround WP , a wettable pulverised form of kaolin clay that ’s specialize for agricultural use , isalso sold by Arbico Organics .
The remains may be immix with water and then sprayed where it ’s needed .
If you know that your soil is infested with larvae , you may treat it with spinosad – an constitutional assortment of compounds descend from bacterium .
Monterey Garden Insect Spray
One conceptualization , Monterey Garden Insect Spray , is a broad - spectrum spinosad insecticide that ’s available in various volumesfrom Arbico Organics .
For a more rapid control response , sprays of pyrethrin or azadirachtin insecticides directly applied to infected tissues are good . But they can also take out beneficial insects , so be mindful .
Chemical Pesticides
Since broad - spectrum insect powder are very potent against many different bugs , caution and easing in their usance is of the essence .
And of course , you should always mind any Cartesian product warnings and follow all software program instructions when using chemical treatment in the garden , if you opt to do so .
Does Your Garden Need Debugging?
look at this manoeuver a “ patch ” for your cucumber speckle – or any of your other cucurbit , for that matter .
Heck , these tip help withanyplants that cucumber beetles could infest , of which there are many .
With some prevention practices in office and control measures in military reserve , you’re able to keep your garden safe from cuke beetles for years to come . And if mistakes are made and harvest are lose , fear not . Losing a fight does n’t equal lose the war !
Want to learn how to manage more beetle that may infestyour precious veg crops ? learn out these guides :
© Ask the Experts , LLC . ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.See our TOSfor more details . retool and extend from an original article write by Helga George . Product picture via Arbico Organics . Uncredited exposure : Shutterstock . With additional composition and redaction by Allison Sidhu .
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Joe Butler
