This is a stock photo ... I can't work my camera well enough to take close-ups. My squash plants (some near cukes, some not, doesn't seem relevant) are being mauled by cucumber beetles (yellow/black stripes). In some cases, the plants are not growing well. In other situations, the plants have managed to flourish, but the bugs are eating away at the fruit before it has time to mature (so just dropping off).
I've just gotten an order of Neem oil and applied one application last Friday and another one tonight (despite the instructions that it should be 7 days between treatments). Any other suggestions!?!? I've never encountered this bug before ... there are dozens of them on each plant.
Susie, you've read my struggles with cucumber beetles. For me, they do not do that much physical damage, by they carry bacterial wilt. One bite infects the plant and kills it in just a few days. Pesticides don't generally work. Neem as a soil drench is apparently effective against larvae and eggs in the soil. To kill adults you would have to directly spray each one. Or use a portable hand vac and vacuum them up. I'm not much help. Sorry you are having so much trouble.
ReplyDeleteThanks David, I've just re-read your post on using Surround WP. I'm just taken by surprise as I've never seen these before here and there are so many of them! I had thought that if the plants could get large enough, they would be OK, but now the fruit is just dropping off.
DeleteI cover my cucumbers when they are young so the beetle population doesn't get too much of a grip early on. And I plant them late - not until June 1st most years, though this year it was May 28th. I uncovered them at the end of June. Then I hand pick the beetles as I see them. They are hard to hand pick as they drop off when disturbed. I've learned to put a container of soapy water under the blossoms then knock them into it. I do it early in the morning hopefully before the bees are busy. I know it is too late now to cover the cukes, but handpicking still works though it is time consuming and not always successful. Good luck.
ReplyDeleteYes, I find them very hard to hand pick, they get away easily. But great idea about the container of soapy water to catch them when they fall - I also read someone had the same idea with duct tape. Hmm ... I'll give the container of soapy water a try this weekend.
DeleteUgh - not good. Don't have any advice as I've never had cucumber beetles so far either (knock on wood!), but I feel your pain. Hope that you are able to figure out a solution soon & that your squash isn't set back too much.
ReplyDeleteAmazing how pests just show up one year when you've never seen them before - that seems to be happening a lot lately!
Delete