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No matter how cute someone may think the spotted or striped little cuke beetles are they are anything but adored by gardeners. The drive to kill cucumber beetles is shared by the growers of the multitude of crop plants the cucumber beetle feeds on. Their life cycle is limited by temperature and colder climates only experience one generation per season. There are a variety of effective ways to kill cucumber beetles and you are bound to find one that fits your preferences when your vegetable crop starts displaying signs of a cuke beetle infestation.
In areas where temperatures drop below 50 degrees at night, only one generation of the cucumber beetle occurs per growing season. Warmer areas are not so lucky. The beetle will continue to breed and raise havoc with the root systems of corn and other vegetable crops year round. They eat asparagus, beans, eggplant, potatoes, tomatoes, peas, squash, cucumbers, melons, some fruit trees and corn. Seeing corn fall to the ground is a distinct sign that cucumber beetle larva are in the corn patch and destroying the plants root system. Anytime five or more beetles are found per plant, a plan of action to kill the cucumber beetles needs to be launched.
Both chemical and botanical treatments are available that will kill cucumber beetles effectively and save the vegetables in the garden for human consumption. The chemicals pyrethrum or rotenone, when applied per the instructions on the packaging, is effective treatments. Today many people are looking for more natural ways to do things and the killing of cucumber beetles can be left to their natural enemies. Predators that kill cucumber beetles and their larva include tachrid flies, soldier beetles, braconid wasps and parasitic nematodes. Veracious lady bugs and lace wings feast upon the eggs. Taking steps to encourage these insects to inhabit your garden is very proactive in managing cucumber beetle populations. When using parasitic nematodes, it is recommended that the nematodes be applied to the mulch pile, the seed rows and to the plants root base to kill cucumber beetles in the adult stage.
Gardeners have been known to literally vacuum up the adult beetles with little portable vacuum cleaners. The visualization may bring a smile but it is quite an effective way to gather up the little pests. Once gathered they are generally put in a sealable sturdy plastic bag and disposed of in the garbage. Another technique you can employ is planting repellent plants in close proximity to the vegetables favored by cuke beetles. Radishes and broccoli are two vegetables they dislike as well as catnip, nasturtiums, golden rod and the African, French and Mexican varieties of marigolds.
Killing cucumber beetles can be something of an obsession for gardeners that hate to see their thriving vegetables struck down from below and above. There are several effective ways to control the cucumber beetle population and limit their impact on the crops that you will want to be familiar with so you will be prepared if the cucumber beetles strike your garden plot.
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Author Bio Box: Patricia Wainwright
Get all the facts about Pest and Disease and organic gardening at GreenThumbArticles.com!
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