As any good farmer knows, a successful harvest is dependent on knowing the enemies of your crops. One such formidable pest is the cucumber beetle.
They are a killer of cucurbits (melons, cucumbers, pumpkin, squash, zucchini, etc.), among other plants such as corn.
Cucumber beetles not only chew on leaves, which wouldn’t be so bad but also transmit bacterial wilt, which kills [1].
Not only know the signs of an infestation but how to best naturally get rid of this pest from off your plants, so you are ready to defend your garden when they begin the assault.
Life Cycle
The full lifecycle is four to eight weeks, and they can overwinter in places like compost and trash heaps and emerge in warming spring climates.
The female striped cucumber beetles can lay up to 1500 eggs, and the spotted cucumber beetle 200 to 300 [2].
As soon as they hatch, they begin lunching on the leaves of the plants, and within two weeks of starting to feed, the beetles will evolve to pupae.
Obviously, this can become a significant infestation quickly if not resolved and monitored closely in your garden.
Crop Damage
The signs of cucumber beetle damage in your garden are apparent first in the scarring of leaves and plants.
Cucumbers, squashes, and melons are, by far, their favorite victims.
Still, if the population is too large or their favorite crops are not available, they can attack tomatoes, corn, and other crops.
As they eat, bacteria from their stomachs spread on the plants, and soon wilting and death of the plants occur.
Striped Cucumber Beetle vs. Spotted Cucumber Beetle
One of the main differences between the two types of cucumber beetles, also called corn rootworm beetles, is that striped sticks to cucumbers, squash, and the like. In contrast, spotted will migrate to other plants.
The striped features long black stripes on a yellow body, and the spotted feature the same coloring but with spots.
Both feed mostly on the roots and stems of plants, while the spotted also is known for attacking the fruit.
How to Get Rid of Cucumber Beetles Naturally
Below are some of the best organic control methods and home remedies for cucumber beetles!
1. Diatomaceous Earth
Much like Sevin dust, this non-toxic powder that looks like broken glass shards when microscopically examined is a tremendous beetle control remedy.
When spread around young plants, diatomaceous earth will kill existing cucumber beetles. It will also prevent the hatching of new ones, getting rid of them for good.
Diatomaceous earth compound is natural and safe for use in organic gardening. It is derived from fossilized shells of tiny aquatic organisms known as diatoms.
When applying, be sure to wear a mask, so the dust doesn’t get into your nostrils. It can also make a spray.
2. Beneficial Insects
Ladybugs are one of the best natural predators of harmful garden insects. They will consume the beetle’s eggs and immediately start diminishing the ability of an outbreak.
If you purchase them, you do want to ensure you cool them in a refrigerator and release them in the evening. These two steps help slow the ladybugs and ensure they remain in your designated area of need.
Approximately 1,500 ladybugs are the recommended amount for a home garden. They can typically be purchased at many organic nurseries, for just this purpose, along with other helpful insect options for your garden.
Other helpful insects that keep away bugs include lacewings, tachinid fly, the spined soldier bug, braconid parasitoid wasp, and ground beetles.
3. Till the Ground
One early prevention for the critters is tilling up the ground in late fall. This can help eradicate any cucumber beetle larvae in the soil from overwintering or preparing for such a state.
Also, in Spring, just before planting, tilling will ensure any larvae that survived fall tilling are eradicated.
4. Yellow Sticky Trap
Yellow sticky tape is a great cucumber beetle trap because the bugs are attracted to the color. As soon as you see a sign of this pest, get your tape ready and border your garden.
It also acts as a great monitoring tool for the overall health of your garden, catching all sorts of bad insects.
Obviously, if it becomes readily loaded down with insects upon placement, you might need to formulate a better control plan.
Lures will help draw in the pests, and the sticky traps hold them for disposal. Lures are effective for approximately 45 days and should be continuously monitored and removed when full.
5. Use Transplants
Transplantation of more mature cucumber plants, versus planting seeds can help deter these yellow and black striped bugs.
Early sprouts are much more susceptible to being permanently damaged by beetles than mature transplants. This inside planting also serves to ensure you get them in the ground after the last frost of the season.
Remember, these are delicate vegetables that won’t tolerate even the lightest of cold. Therefore, plant them after the weather consistently reaches seventy degrees for the season.
Planting inside gives you more control of these idiosyncrasies also.
6. Shake Them Off
Another hand method of dealing with cucumber bugs is the knock and drag method.
Place cardboard around the plant that you have seen containing beetles. Once the cardboard is in place, shake the plant lightly to displace the beetles, and drag the cardboard out.
Place them into a sealable bag and dispose of it. Replace the cardboard and do this again.
You can also drop them in a bucket of soapy water made from organic insecticidal soap to kill them.
7. Plant Late
If you live in cold regions, by planting cucurbits families of vegetables later in the season, other gardens will attract these pests, leaving your next crops, hopefully undamaged.
After June 15th, it is recommended to plant, as overwintered pests should have dispersed by then.
8. Mulch
For those seeking an all-round solution to control beetles naturally, straw mulch applied around plants helps deter all types of beetles.
Another added benefit of this natural deterrent is that wolf spiders love straw and will nest.
When the beetles attempt to make it through the straw, the spiders will consume them, creating a line of defense for your plants.
Add a one-inch layer of this mulch a few inches back from the plants – never directly on top of the seedlings or plants, for best results.
9. Vacuuming
Yep, you read that correctly. Handpicking, mentioned above, is a tedious task, but with care, vacuuming these pests off of your plants is possible.
Ensure you empty the vacuum into a seal about the bag for disposal.
It is essential to not just clean what is immediately visible but check under the plants and around the root system.
10. Lime and Wood Ash
Using mixtures of wood ash and powdered hydrated lime is an excellent natural deterrent for cucumber beetles.
Add 1 ounce each of ash and lime to one gallon of water and mix.
This dissolved solution can then be mobilized in spray bottles and applied to the impacted plants.
11. Neem Oil
This oil from the neem tree in tropical areas has been proven, amongst other things, to be an excellent natural insecticide, serving as a hormone disruptor to affected pests.
Carefully follow the packaging for the application. However, for a simple recipe, combine 5ml or neem oil with 2ml of organic liquid soap in a liter of water. Spray on affected areas.
Oil of neem repels many insects, prevents fungal plant concerns, and, best of all, actually helps to stop viruses and diseases that can kill plants.
12. Hot Pepper and Garlic
This is a great home remedy to protect cucumbers from pests. Are you ready to mix up a spicy treat for those critters?
Mix 6 cloves of crushed garlic, a tablespoon of hot pepper (dried), and a tablespoon of organic liquid soap.
Put this organic mixture in a gallon of hot water, and let it sit for at least a day. Strain and put into a spray bottle for application.
The smell will clear out the beetles with the decidedly unpleasant odor and tastes that are sure to be staunch.
13. Remove Eggs
Cucumber beetle eggs are easy to spot on your garden plants; however, removing them is crucial.
Picking or cutting the clusters from the leaves they are on will ensure they don’t hatch and further the infestation.
Remember to look under leaves and dawn the stalk of the plant and remove everything possible.
14. Companion Planting
Another great way of getting rid of cucumber beetles organically is planting different crops together in close proximity.
Corn, onions, or broccoli planted interspersed or in between rows of cucumbers have been shown to discourage this pest.
Additional plants that repel them or attract their enemies include clover, nasturtium, marigold, tansy, buckwheat, and radishes.
15. Row Covers
The first line of defense is cones, floating row covers, and other barriers to these pests.
These devices act as mini-greenhouses, allowing the benefits of soil, light, and water to seep into the plants while keeping pests at bay.
Cover the edges with dirt to prevent these crafty critters from gaining access to the plants inside. However, once flowers begin to appear, you need to remove these covers for the best cross-pollination results.
16. Trap Crops
This type of planting is precisely how it sounds, planting for the sake of tricking garden pests. By drawing them to these plants, you will spare your principal crops.
A good trap crop option to use is blue hubbard squash, which attracts squash bugs and several varieties of cucumber pests.
A perimeter of it around your main crops can help isolate them from the beetles that wish to feed upon them.
17. Crop Rotation
No matter how much prep work, tilling, and the like you do, some larvae may hatch.
One of the best ideas for prevention is the rotation of where you plant cucumbers, squash, and other cucurbits in the coming season.
Because these yellow beetle bugs overwinter in the soil, crop rotation will prevent larvae damage. This is for the reason that they won’t readily access their favorite plants when hatched.
18. Kaolin Clay
Mixing 3 cups of Surround WP Kaolin Clay to one gallon of water provides a sprayable solution.
This substance forms a white barrier surface on your plants that the beetles do not like, preventing them from feeding and laying their eggs.
Kaolin clay is safe to use on plants in your garden, but as always, remember to cleanse your produce thoroughly before eating.
19. Spinosad
Monterey Spinosad Insect Spray is made utilizing fermented soil bacterium. This is a great natural pesticide to kill cucumber beetles, as well as their larvae and many other agricultural pests.
This spray works on the nervous system of pests, and immobilizes them, and causes them to remain on plants looking active when they actually cannot move.
This multi-purpose natural repellent is heavy-lifting for many of your garden variety. Thus, you can use it for your entire garden versus just cucurbit patches.
20. Molt-X
This compound is a derivative of the neem tree that serves to prevent the eating of vegetation by insects and acts as a repellent. Spray or apply directly into the soil.
Once absorbed, pests will digest and slowly die off. This product also has properties that inhibit future hatching of eggs, and best of all leaves no residues on the plants in your garden.
Molt-X can be purchased at numerous places online or natural gardening stores.
21. Beauveria bassiana
This is an insect fungus that infects the pest’s outer shell and, upon absorption, kills them.
It is used on many beetles and soft-bodied inhabitants of your garden and will appear whitish at first when applied and sticks to the insect’s bodies.
This is generally used after a significant infiltration of the garden has occurred as it works on mature pests. The full effect of this product will be up to fourteen days.
BioCeres WP beauveria bassiana can be purchased at several vital retailers for use alone or with other processes for ideal results.
Takeaway
These beetles may look unassuming with their yellow and black bodies, but do not be fooled. Like squash bugs, these little pests like to munch on stems, roots, and the fruit of cucumber, squash, melons, and other cucurbits.
Even if those are not crops you have in your garden, remember the spotted beetle is not picky.
As soon as signs of stem and root damage appear, bacterial wilt from the insects is sure to follow. Be prepared and have a plan to naturally help defend and eradicate to the best of your ability these pests.
There will be no time to waste, and you must be decisive while still protecting yourself and the rest of the garden you have planted for harvest.
Hopefully, this fantastic list of natural deterrents to employ in your garden will show rewards in your battle against yellow cucumber bugs.
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