Andre CampbellThe larvae of the Mexican bean beetle (Epilachna varivestis) are more destructive than adults, feeding on the undersides of the leaves, pods, and/or stems.
This pest doesn’t confine its destructive march through fields and gardens just to Mexico but also to other areas of the Midwest [1]. It can cause considerable damage to all kinds of bean plants and other legumes.
Here’s how to get rid of Mexican bean beetles naturally:
1. Diatomaceous Earth (DE)
Few pests can survive long-term treatment with DE. Sprinkle it on the soil and directly on crops.
Diatomaceous earth is effective at all stages of the Mexican bean beetle’s life cycle. However, the most productive time to use it is at the pest’s larval stage, when the product is capable of cutting through the soft bodies of the pests.
However, you’ll need to reapply after a rain shower or garden watering.
2. Neem Oil
This home remedy is widely used as a pesticide in organic farming. Neem oil inhibits feeding and disrupts the growth of many pests, including bean beetles.
You can use pure neem oil to make a homemade Mexican bean beetle spray. Just combine 4 tablespoons of neem oil with 2 teaspoons of organic liquid soap and a gallon of water.
Use this solution to spray the leaves of your plants in the evening.
3. Pyrethrin
Pyrethrin is an organic compound derived from some chrysanthemum flowers. It has a powerful effect on the nervous systems of certain insect pests, including beetles.
Our recommended brand is PyGanic. This product contains pyrethrin as its active ingredient.
You can use it as an insecticidal spray to control infestations of many pests, including beetles on beans.
Direct contact with the pests is needed for effective control. However, be careful when using this organic insecticide, as it is toxic to honeybees.
4. Beneficial Insects
Encouraging insects that eat other insects in your garden is a natural way to help reduce insect damage to crops.
The ladybug is extremely helpful in the garden, as is the lacewing. Both of these insects are happy to eat up the eggs and larvae of Mexican bean beetles and a host of other pests.
Minute pirate bugs and spined soldier bugs are also beneficial, devouring bean beetles, cutworms, and leafhoppers.
5. Crop Rotation
This is an old and successful method of controlling pests by moving the crop away from the infested ground for some time and planting elsewhere.
As a result, the overwintering beetles will have no source of sustenance come next season, and most will die.
6. Row Covers
Cover and protect plants from attack by using floating row covers specially designed for this purpose. The material is thin and lightweight, allowing air and sunlight in while keeping pests out.
7. Trap Crop
Both adults and larvae of Mexican beetle bugs love to feed on lima beans. Hence, this is one type of crop that you can use to entice these pests away from your other crops.
Plant lima beans a little distance away from your garden to attract these pests.
8. Pick Them Off
This is another easy way to destroy these bugs on green beans and other plants. As soon as you spot them, just pick them off.
The beetles’ eggs can be scraped off and the larvae and adult beetles squished.
9. Milky Spore
Milky spore uses a naturally occurring bacterium to control Japanese beetle larvae. Still, some farmers swear by it for controlling bean beetle larvae as well.
To use this commercially available product correctly, follow the directions on the package.
10. Insecticidal Soap
This is a method best used for a small problem of Mexican bean beetles before the situation becomes an infestation.
Spraying a solution of organic insecticidal soap can get rid of a few larvae or adults. However, to be effective, drench the leaves and stems of the plants thoroughly to smother the bugs.
11. Kaolin Clay
This is another commercially available organic product. When used as a spray, kaolin clay is highly effective in controlling Mexican beetles and other pests organically.
The clay forms a protective barrier film wherever you apply it to your plants. This film will prevent these chewing insects from inflicting damage to the plant.
Surround WP is our recommended brand. Use it according to the product instructions.
12. Garden Clean-Up
Clearing away all the detritus of summer and fall is vital to keeping down harmful insects.
Leaves, waste, and litter harbor overwintering Mexican beetles. Therefore, a good clean-up will help prevent an infestation of these pests in the spring.
13. Debug Turbo
This is a highly effective product for controlling beetles and other pests. Debug contains the active ingredients neem oil, triterpenoids, and azadirachtin. These compounds deal with insect pests at all stages of their life cycle.
Debug acts as a repellent and inhibits feeding and larval development. However, dilute it with water and spray thoroughly on crops early in the morning or evening for speedy control of infestations.
Repeat applications as advised by the manufacturers.
Takeaway
It is a miserable sight for gardeners to find these beetles on beans. However, using one or a combination of the above natural methods will help deter or kill these pests.
Sasha Campbell
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