Insecticide For Cucumber Beetles

One of the worst things that can happen to a cucumber grower is getting cucumber beetles in his or her garden. It will not only spoil your harvest, but also make your work more challenging. Cucumber beetles are actually pests that attack the plants, flowers and fruit of cucurbits such as cucumbers, squash and pumpkins. These pests are small round beetles ranging in color from black to brownish yellow.

Insecticide For Cucumber Beetles

There are two common types of cucumber beetle, striped (Acalymma vittatum/A. trivittatum) and spotted (Diabrotica undecimpunctata howardi Barber), whose names refer to the markings on their bodies. Both varieties are common pests of plants in the cucurbit family (Cucurbitaceae); however, cucumber beetles also feed on other plant varieties if an optimal host is not readily available.

Identification: Adult cucumber beetles are 5 to 6 mm in length and greenish yellow in color with a black thorax. Eggs are laid in groups of 25-50, are yellow in color, oval in shape, and measure about 0.35 mm in width. They are often deposited in cracks in the soil, but are also found under leaf surfaces requiring five to nine days to hatch (dependent on soil moisture). Once hatched, larvae feed on plant roots and tunnel through stems as they mature through three instars. Complete larval development takes between two to 3 ½ weeks after which the larvae pupate in the soil. Pupation lasts four to ten days and adults emerge to feed, mate and lay eggs.

Cucumber Beetle Damage:

Vegetable crops damaged by the cucumber beetle include cucumber, squash, beet, bean, pea, sweet potato, okra, corn, lettuce, onion, and various cabbages. The cucumber beetle is known to vector viral diseases in beans; however, damage caused by larvae and adults can increase the incidence and severity of bacterial wilt (Erwinia tracheiphila). Adult cucumber beetles severely defoliate plants and scar fruit, reducing their marketability.

Controlling Cucumber Beetles:

• Inspection is a key element of prevention and control. Monitor plants and growing areas, including the growing medium, for any signs of pests. Use baited traps early in the season where cucumber beetles are known to be a problem. Manually remove any visible egg clusters or adults and dispose of them.
• Use floating row covers to protect seedlings and new plantings. Maintain monitoring techniques to catch any pest issues early and determine if action is needed.
• Introduce beneficial insects early in the growing season and supplement populations if pest levels increase. Ladybugs, green lacewing and assassin bugs will all feed on various life stages of cucumber beetles.
• NemaSeek (Hb) beneficial nematodes should be applied to the soil of infested areas to control the pupal stage of the cucumber beetle.
• If adult feeding damage is identified, apply kaolin clay (Surround WP) to plant foliage. The film left behind disorients insects and prevents feeding.
• Spinosad sprays can be applied as soil drenches to kill larvae before they pupate in the soil.
• B. bassiana sprays infect and kill cucumber beetles once they have hatched. They are most effective when targeting non-adult stages.
• If immediate action and control is necessary, apply a pyrethrin or azadirachtin insecticide to the affected areas. Use caution if beneficial insects have been released or pollinators are present.
• Lastly and perhaps most importantly, maintain a clean growing area and rotate cucurbit crops. Remove debris and harvest before fruit drops to the ground. This reduces overwintering habitat for cucumber beetles.

Insecticide For Cucumber Beetles

The insecticide for cucumber beetle is a non-systemic organic insecticide. It comes in liquid form and can be used on plants and fruits. It contains natural ingredients that make it effective against the cucumber beetle. The insecticide has been specially formulated to kill the pests without harming the plant or fruit where it is applied. The non-systemic feature ensures that there are no residues left behind once the pests have been killed or repelled, which means that you get a clean product that does not harm other insects or animals in your garden.

Cucumber beetles feed on plants and cause damage by eating the leaves, stems and fruits of their host plants. They are found mainly on cucumbers, pumpkins, squash and melons but they also affect some other vegetables such as beans and tomatoes. The main issue with these pests is that they can spread diseases from one plant to another by spreading spores through their feces or by feeding on infected plants themselves; this makes them dangerous for crops that are grown close together so it’s important to control their numbers whenever possible before they become too numerous!

List Of Insecticide For Cucumber Beetles