Cucumber beetles

 Cucumber beetle-spots

Diaphrodica antesymbangtata

Host Plants:

Crops: Cucumbers, melons, pumpkins, corn

Where to find:

Parts of North America and Mexico

Description:

Spotted cucumber beetles are about 1/3 inch long and bright greenish-yellow with 12 black spots on the wings.

Damage:

In the spring, spotted cucumber beetles are often found on squash and cucumber seedlings, after which they disappear for a few weeks. During this time the new larvae feed on the roots of grasses, including corn. The second generation develops in mid-summer and the adults eat more of the cucumber family crops and the flowers, fruits, and roots of the corn. When they feed, the beetles spread viral diseases and bacterial wilt, which cause the plants to wither and die.

Preventing problems:

Plants including buckwheat, borage, catnip, and radish attract many benefits that help control cucumber beetles. Floating row covers are the most reliable way to protect plants. Delaying planting by two weeks in the spring will often help in the management of cucumber beetles. Use yellow sticky traps to monitor the population.

Managing explosions:

Cucumber beetles with spots are small and flying, making them difficult to pick up by hand. On cold mornings, place a cardboard box under the plants to catch the beetles that knock you to the ground. Apply petroleum jelly to the fingertips of the yellow rubber glove so that the beetles that cluster in the flowers can be easily collected. A small vacuum is a great way to collect cucumber beetles.

Notes:

The most commonly grown cucumbers and melons are grown with dangerous systemic pesticides, so organic pest control is worth the time and effort. You can also try growing varieties such as ‘Little Leaf’ or Asian Cucumbers, which are less bitter and less susceptible to cucumber beetles.

Cucumber beetle - striped

When Akalimma leaves, Akalimma wanders

Host Plants:

Crops: Cucumbers, melons, pumpkins

Where to find:

Much of North America

Description:

The striped cucumber beetles are less than a quarter of an inch long and have three black stripes under their wings. The Western version is slightly larger.

Damage:

Striped cucumber beetles appear in late spring and immediately begin to eat cucumber, melon, and squash seedlings. The females lay eggs near the base of the plants, and the larvae feed on the roots of the plants. The population develops rapidly, and the beetles further damage the plants by eating the flowers and spreading the disease called Bacterial Wilt, which causes the plants to wither and die.

Preventing problems:

Plants including buckwheat, borage, catnip, and radish attract many benefits that help control cucumber beetles. Floating row covers are the most reliable way to protect plants. Delaying planting by two weeks in the spring will often help in the management of cucumber beetles. Use yellow sticky traps to monitor the population.

Managing explosions:

Striped cucumber beetles are small and flying, making them difficult to pick up. On cold mornings, place a cardboard box under the plants to catch the beetles that knock you to the ground. Apply petroleum jelly to the fingertips of the yellow rubber glove so that the beetles that cluster in the flowers can be easily collected. A small vacuum is a great way to collect cucumber beetles.

Notes:

The most commonly grown cucumbers and melons are grown with dangerous systemic pesticides, so organic pest control is worth the time and effort. You can also try varieties like 'Little Leaf' which does not have a bitter gene and is less attractive to cucumber beetles and chop cucumbers.