5 Simple Ways to Control Asparagus Beetles

Asparagus beetles  A pain in the asparagus. The most common is the asparagus beetle and the spotted asparagus beetle, they both love to eat asparagus. They lurk wherever they can to stay warm in the winter. When they wake up in the spring, they are hungry. If you grow asparagus, you will have to learn at some point how to get rid of these beetles.

There are some proven asparagus beetle control methods. They work to prevent these and other pests from invading your plants. Other methods can help you deal with asparagus beetles once they appear. Here are 5 simple, safe, and effective ways to get rid of asparagus beetles in your garden.

The life cycle of asparagus beetle - how to recognize asparagus beetles

There are 2 different types of asparagus beetles:

The common asparagus beetle (Cryoceris asparagus) is 6 to 9 mm long and slightly elongated. It is blue/black in color and has cream or yellow spots. Its larvae are fat gray worms with blackheads.

The spotted asparagus beetle (Crioceris duodecimpunctata) is 5 to 6.5 mm long and red/orange with 12 black spots.

They are both extremely harmful to asparagus spears.

It is important to identify these parasites early in their life cycle because they are easier to remove from eggs or larvae than adult beetles. Adult beetles are very fast and not easy to catch.

Here's how to identify asparagus beetles in their different life stages.

Asparagus beetle eggs

If you've seen these in your asparagus, it's time to take action. The easiest way to get rid of asparagus beetle eggs is to brush them with a small brush. At this point, they cannot live on the ground, so it is best to catch them at this point.

If you miss the egg stage, you will usually see larvae on the tops of the ferns. Larvae are harder to pick up than eggs but easier than adult beetles. I usually pick them by hand (if you do not have a large garden you can do this: we have about 50 asparagus plants). All I do at this point is leave the larvae (they look like small snails sticking to the top of the ferns) in a small plastic tub with water and a drop of dishwashing liquid.

Adult asparagus beetle

In this case, the best and most natural method is to take the beetles and drop them in soapy water. Sprinkle your asparagus with neem oil.

Asparagus beetle control tips

# 1 - Invite Ladybucks and Lacewings into your garden

Lacewings and Ladybugs asparagus beetles are delicious! They also eat squash insects and other garden predators. A recent Google search for "Where to buy Lacewings and Ladybox" yielded 264,000 results. Lists include brick-and-mortar businesses and online locations.

Do not sell your local horticultural center or nursery lacewings and ladybugs. If so, you can find what you need on Google or Amazon. Dragonflies, some birds, and even turkeys will happily eat asparagus beetles.

# 2 - Brush the beetles

Some gardeners use a soft bristle brush and simply brush off the larvae and eggs. Eggs and larvae die on the ground.

# 3 - Use certified pesticide

I know what you think. You want to keep man-made chemicals and toxic pesticides out of your garden. I feel the same way. OMRI approval refers to acceptance by the Organic Materials Review Institute. This certification only involves products that are organically certified by the USDA. Safe brand tomatoes and vegetable pesticides are allowed for use in organic gardens. Asparagus beetles hate it. You can find it at your local nursery. Can also be picked up online.

Neem oil is a safe, natural insecticide derived from the azadirachta indica tree. It is good for killing asparagus beetles and other insects. Neem oil also helps prevent the formation of fungi. It is safe to use in soil and edible plants. Neem oil is both EPA and OMRI approved as a safe, non-toxic gardening material.

# 4 - Protect your plants with row covers

Control of asparagus beetles is to protect the whole plant. These annoying garden kremlins do not care about which part of the asparagus plant is unsafe. They will eat it all. That’s why sequence covers are so important.

These lightweight fabrics or garments protect the entire array of plants. They allow mother nature (water, air, sunlight) inside and keep out asparagus beetles and other hungry insects and birds.

# 5 - Early Harvest

This asparagus beetle control method shortens the life cycle of the insect. Fully grown beetles prefer evergreen plants. If you can harvest your crop when the asparagus is young, you can automatically reduce the chances of infection.