Among them are: 1. This will make it even more difficult for the beetles to find your crop. You can easily identify them by the 10 alternating yellow and black stripes on their shells. And they have black stripes on their back. This is easiest to accomplish on a sunny, warm day when the pests are out and about. Another good practice is to plant early varieties since potato beetle damage only gets worse as the season goes on and all the eggs hatch. Now that she lives near Santa Barbara, California, she is delighted that many of these grow right outside! Egg mass on underside of leaf. This can confuse the beetles and delay infestation. You even have the option to use microbial insecticides against L. decemlineata. Helga then returned to Cornell to obtain a PhD, studying one of the model systems of plant defense. Colorado potato beetles have a distinct appearance. A Journal of Economic Entomology study of commercial potato fields on Long Island, New York, found that rotation with non-host plants like rye or wheat decreased the density of early season adult beetles by nearly 96%. Preventing an infestation in the first place is easier than treating one that has already occurred. Your first thought might be to reach for a classic insecticide like Sevin (carbaryl). [get_colorado] We are often advised to observe crop rotation - for five years not to plant solanaceous, including potatoes, in the old place, then, they say, everything will be fine. Colorado potato beetles are a serious pest of annual vegetables such as eggplants (Solanum melongena), potatoes (Solanum tuberosum), peppers (Capsicum annuum) and … How thorough and creative of you! You will need to reapply the neem oil frequently. Adults are orange-yellowish in color. There are special "bug vacs" for garden use, but a regular household handheld vacuum also works well. Timing is an important consideration, in order to get the maximum number of insects. Pyrethrins are another option to target the young larvae. Put on a pair of gloves, and remove the bugs from the plant. One of the primary pyrethrin components almost completely degrades after 5 days on tomato or potato leaves, and some L. decemlineata populations have developed resistance against this class of insecticides. GARDENER'S PATH® IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF ASK THE EXPERTS LLC. Start in the spring, before you plant, by removing nightshade, ground cherry and other weeds in the Solanaceae family from the garden. One organic insecticide that is particularly effective at killing these pests without slaughtering their natural enemies is spinosad. If you spot Colorado beetles on potato plants, handpick and place them in the bucket. Worse, it overwinters in the soil where it knows crops will be growing again in the next season, often leading to lost crops year after year for unknowing gardeners and farmers. If conditions are not favorable, the adults may not emerge until spring. Other pests that can wreak havoc on potato plants include grasshoppers and aphids. You can get rid of Colorado potato beetles, although you’ll need some patience. Because this destruction period will only last a few weeks, the right timing for the fight is as essential as the combat strategy itsel… You should not use more than that. Myiopharus doryphorae, a type of tachinid fly, parisitizes these pests as well. There are several reasons why no-till works so well. These insects can be found in every state except California, Nevada, Hawaii, and Alaska. Preventative Measures to Keep Potato Bugs Away 1. We used Seven Dust to kill the larvae. Uncredited photos: Shutterstock. The adults lay yellow to orange eggs about 1 millimeter long on the bottom of leaves, where they hatch into larvae. Soaked the ground. Next, use plastic to cover them. Mulch. Parasitic wasps are highly specialized for their hosts, and Edovum puttleri can help control your infestation. Learn tips for creating your most beautiful (and bountiful) garden ever. 3. However, you do not have to go to such extremes in your garden. You should rotate your insecticide use among different classes, so the pests will not develop resistance. Ensure that you are not covering plants in an area where you grew them before. And don’t forget to crush any egg masses that you find on the bottom of the leaves, which often appear around the same time that shoots are first emerging from the soil. Fill an old coffee can with water and dish soap. BONIDE® Neem Oil Concentrate via ARBICO Organics. Protect your potato crop from beetles by trying a few of these methods together, especially if you've had a problem with potato beetles in the past.. Since these pests can overwinter in the soil, you could get an accidental infestation under the floating row cover if you are not careful. When the larvae complete this phase of their life cycle, they drop to the ground and burrow several inches down before pupating. You can get rid of potato bugs (Colorado potato beetles) with commercial pesticides or natural remedies. Potato plants, while generally hardy, are susceptible to a beetle known as the Colorado potato beetle. Certain varieties of potatoes, such as Russet Burbank, have proven to be resistant to potato beetles. Monterey Garden Insect Spray Concentrate (spinosad) via ARBICO Organics. However, you will want to take action before these fiendish pests take over. Both adult and larvae feed on foliage, creating irregular holes on leaves, stems, and occasionally fruit. University of Minnesota Extension Website. The Colorado potato beetle is also impervious to many different types of pesticides and insecticides, making it incredibly difficult to get rid of. They are also pests in every Canadian province, and in Central America. Add Mulches. Adult beetles reach about 3/8 inch long and have oval bodies with black and yellow-orange striped shells. This strain produces a toxin that targets the young larvae, so it should be applied every few days as soon as the eggs start to hatch. They have adapted a resistance to most control methods, both conventional and organic. Live ladybugs in various quantities available from ARBICO Organics. One way on how to get rid of potato bugs is to keep the area clean and free of weeds, woods or other debris. Their larvae are red to orange with two rows of black dots along their sides. Another is that they discourage the pests from colonizing your plants. Colorado potato beetles have a distinct appearance that... Colorado potato beetle life cycle. Floating row covers can help protect your plants from insect infestations. How To Get Rid Of Potato Beetles. Several varieties of sage are pretty good about staying in place. She transitioned to full-time writing in 2009. These hungry larvae are responsible for up to 75% of the damage to a crop. Organic Treatments for Colorado Potato Beetle Apply neem oil as needed. Green Lacewing eggs, larvae, and adults are available from ARBICO Organics. Small larvae are easier to control than adults and mature larvae, therefore, spray when the larvae have just hatched in spring. Left unchecked, these beetles can devour an entire crop of potatoes. Use a vacuum to remove beetles, larvae, and eggs. Agricultural experts can tell you which ones are likely to work in your area. This effect wore off later in the season. Mulching heavily with straw not only helps keep the tubers out of the sunlight but also creates a habitat for predators of the Colorado potato beetle. The Spruce uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Another way to protect your plants from L. decemlineata is to grow plants that attract these insects. The exact knowledge of the potato bug’s life cycle will optimize the control strategy. These beetles mainly eat the leaves of the tomato plant, leaving behind small and large holes. And are 1/8 to 1/2 inch long. Fascinated by the childhood discovery that plants make chemicals to defend themselves, Helga embarked on further academic study and obtained two degrees, studying plant diseases as a plant pathology major. PyGanic Gardening Pyrethrin in various sizes via ARBICO Organics. I would be grateful if you could could keep us apprised of the status of your potato plants. Modern potato growers frequently use chemical pesticides to control this pernicious pest. First, make sure to take a few minutes each day to walk your rows of plants to scan for adult... 2. Enemy need to know "in person" Back in 1859, a colony of little-studied striped beetles in the state of Colorado mercilessly destroyed potato fields, leaving residents without a … Applying as little as an inch layer of it … COPYRIGHT © 2020 ASK THE EXPERTS LLC. Colleen Vanderlinden is a freelance writer and the author of Edible Gardening for the Midwest. Along with forming an alliance with beneficial fauna, there are a number of steps that you can take to keep Jerusalem cricket at bay. I handpicked and threw them in the pond. Just drop them into a container of soapy water! Adult potato beetles are orange with 10 black stripes on their backs. Adult beetles emerge 5-10 days later, and start feeding and mating on their host plants. Fittingly, you can use other types of insects (or even spiders) to control L. decemlineata. They all require that you pay close attention to what is happening in the garden and act quickly. Many diseases are soilborne, and the beetles frequently overwinter in the soil. Use a specially designed lightweight floating row cover and thoroughly secure the material to the ground with soil or staples. Once you have identified these insect pests in your garden, don’t panic! This causes the pests to fall into them and become trapped. A Canadian test found that tomato yields increased by 61-87% using this approach. If potato bugs are common in your area … The bugs contain a chemical that may irritate your skin. Mulching will not only help with the plant’s growth, but it will also help attract the insects … The potato beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineata) is a pest found all across the United States. You can further prevent beetles, bugs and other insects with the presence of mulch. Pick the potato bugs off the plants. Natural control methods range from waging war with predatory insects and microbial insecticides to cultural methods like using trap crops and implementing a no-till strategy. While there are commercial insecticides you can use, there are natural options that many gardeners prefer. Rotating your potato or tomato crops every few years is a good strategy to reduce disease and beetle outbreaks. The potato bug, also called the Colorado potato beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineata), is a very common agricultural pest. Several sprays exist to kill Colorado potato beetle. One thing you can do to enhance the success of crop rotation is to mulch with straw early in the season. Plus, it has an added bonus: this environment favors predators of the beetles! That will dispense of these nasty pests quickly and easily. Potatoes are the most common trap crops used for L. decemlineata. These voracious insects can be confused with false potato beetles (Leptinotarsa juncta), which are not pests. But keep in mind that these compounds have a short half-life – only 12-13 hours. Read our, Organic Treatments for Colorado Potato Beetle, How to Grow Organic Potatoes in Your Garden, How to Control Japanese Beetles in Your Lawn and Garden, Identifying and Dealing With Cabbage Worms, Best and Worst Companion Plants for Potatoes, Organic Controls for Common Strawberry Pests, Identifying and Controlling Tomato Hornworms. Get Rid of Potato Beetles. The key to making this work is that you have to hit the bugs directly with the soap mixture. Trying to get rid of our Colorado Potato Beetles. Colorado Potato Beetles in Home Gardens. Be aware that catnip and tansy can spread easily. That was clever to throw them in the pond and sounded like it was fun. If you are a home gardener, one of the first and most effective things you can do is to go on the offensive and pluck the slow-moving beetles off your plants. Have you waged war against Colorado potato beetles? If you can attract ground beetles, ladybugs, and green lacewings, they'll do a lot of the hard work for you. This can delay their spread into your garden and give you a chance to go on the offensive. Colorado potato beetles pose such a grave threat to potato crops that flamethrowers have been used to control them. Sevin dust is the most common chemical used to control Colorado potato beetles. This compound acts best against young larval beetles, so you should apply it when you see the eggs hatching. Colorado potato beetle adults spend the winter 5-10 inches underground in potato fields, field margins, windbreaks and gardens. This method delays infestation and reduces the early season populations of beetles. How To Get Rid Of Colorado Potato Beetle. You will need a tank and a sprayer to spray the chemical on the crop. I lifted the crop. This will help to increase the diversity of beneficial insects available to attack the potato beetles. This is a very effective way to baffle the Colorado potato beetle and to prevent them from being able to find your crops. You can tell if the treatment is working because the larvae will turn black. If you apply it too early, the bacteria won’t survive until the larvae emerge, so the treatment won’t work. Also make sure that it won’t rain within 8 hours after you have sprayed. You may find blister beetles, Colorado potato beetles, or flea beetles on your tomato plants. Many have bemoaned the day that these pesky little bugs appear in their garden. However, like other organisms, insects can evolve resistance to their attackers, and some Colorado potato beetles display resistance to Bt-t. Another microbe that can be used to attack these garden pests is the fungus Beauveria bassiana, which can be used against both adults and larvae. How to Get Rid Of Colorado Potato Beetle. Instead, your best bet is to consider a combination of different types of organic control methods. Then soaked the ground again. Drop the bugs into the soapy water. They'll pick a plant, find a mate, lay eggs, and the cycle will continue. But… Special fabric floating row covers are widely used around the world by farmers … Your immediate reaction may be to reach for an insecticide. The adult potato beetles overwinter in the soil of the previous year's potato patch. Several organic insecticides can help to control L. decemlineata. Because it is often the larvae and young bugs which destroy your potato patch, egg deposition should already be avoided. If you have had problems with L. decemlineata in the past, crop rotation can be the most important cultural control for this pest. The bass love them, even though I don’t. Beetles are one of those types. Colorado potato beetles, aka potato bugs, are about 1/4 to 1/2 inch long. Every hatched larva can eat 40 square centimeters of foliage in its third or fourth development state. You should make wide trenches in between the vegetation rows at a sharp angle. The beetles eat these while they’re waiting for tomatoes, potatoes and peppers. It sounds like you are well on track to keeping them under control. Keep in mind: it is likely that the natural methods described to control these pests in your garden will be effective, without the need for pesticides. You should spray neem oil in the evening, so it won’t affect  beneficial insects. The beetles have spread to more than 6 million square miles across Europe and Asia. Look for orange to yellow eggs on the underside of leaves, generally in groups of 30. This may not be the best strategy, since Colorado potato beetles are frequently resistant to pesticides. Plant Resistant Cultivars. Consider planting Caribe, Norland, or Yukon Gold potatoes; these are all great early-season options. Newly hatched larvae are bright red. The plump larvae (1/8 to 1/2 inch long) are red with black head and legs, and become yellowish-red or orange with two rows of black spots on each side of the body. The population as a whole is resistant to at least 56 different insecticides. If so, let us know how it went in the comments. If necessary, you can rely on the judicious use of insecticides. You can also grow non-host crops like corn in the area. However, any host plant that they enjoy munching on will work as a trap crop, including other members of the Solanaceae family such as ground cherry, horse nettle, tomato, and buffalo-bur. Larvae of all stages have black heads, and can be identified by the two rows of dark spots on each side of their humps. This is the organic gardener's go-to insecticide, and it works wonders––even better than most... Hand-pick beetles, larvae, and eggs and throw them in a bucket of soapy water to kill them. We at Gardener’s Path provide a number of natural control methods to use against this voracious pest – and if necessary, tips on how to use insecticides as well. Take a Look Each Day. The Colorado potato beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineata) is by far the biggest pest for both backyard and commercial potato growers. These tiny beetles with orange and black stripes are prodigious breeders, and each female can lay up to 25 eggs at a time. Thank you for taking the time to leave a message! One is that they can harbor the beneficial insects that serve as predators to the beetles. If you can start combating the beetles as soon as you see evidence of them you have a better chance of saving your potato crop. Visit us at www.thegraverhomestead.com. But there’s ways to wipe them out! Place floating row covers over the top of your potato plants and leave them in place. They will visit your garden and eat their fill of potato beetles and other insects. With no-till practices, you should purge any alternate hosts like nightshades, ground cherry, jimsonweed, horse nettle, or henbane that are growing in the area. (There was no evidence to support this claim.). Hand-pick beetles, larvae, and eggs and throw them in a bucket of soapy water to kill them. It also acts most effectively against the young larvae. Sprayed with apple cider vinegar and dish washing liquid. On how to get rid of the Colorado potato beetle folk remedies, biological products and chemicals, we will try to tell below in the article. Introducing "One Thing": A New Video Series. This involves hand-picking the eggs before they fully grow into destructive larvae. Commercial tomato growers have had great success using potato plants as trap crops. We would leave to hear what worked or didn’t work for you. How to Get Rid of Colorado Potato Beetles (Naturally) Appearance. The older orange-pink larvae are about 1/2 inch long. Use a specially designed lightweight floating row cover and thoroughly secure the material to the ground with soil or staples. Timing is an important consideration, in order to get the maximum number of insects. Sevin can be applied only once in seven days. Implementing a no-till system of cover crops has been reported to help farmers greatly reduce their pesticide use against L. decemlineata. While you do want to attract the beetles if you are planting trap crops, this is not the case when you are growing cover crops close to your potatoes or tomatoes. Potato plants can lose up to 30% of their leaves and stems without any loss of yield. You can keep them in check by not letting them go to seed and pulling any unwanted young plants right away. Adults (1/3 inch long) are rounded, yellowish-orange beetles with black stripes on their wings and black spots just behind the head. Floating row covers can help protect your plants from insect infestations. Bt-t is sensitive to UV rays, so you should spray late in the evening or on cloudy days. Although not discovered until 1811, Colorado potato beetles quickly spread from the Rocky Mountains to the East Coast by 1874, and reached Europe a few years later. This will prevent the beetles from feeding on these host plants and infecting your crop after they come out of the ground in the spring. Another strategy is to plant your cover crops sequentially, so they will flower at different times. Some well known beneficial insects for this purpose include ladybugs (aka lady bird beetles) and green lacewings. In less favorable climates, the adults may overwinter in your soil. Here is more about what we do. If the infestation in your home garden is severe, you may want to consider this option. Colorado potato beetles typically exhibit strong resistance to such a pesticide due to its wide usage in the past. I found these on my potatoes today, at all life stages. Potato beetle larvae hatch from yellow-orange eggshell clusters on the bottom of leaves. Your best bet for chemical control is to spray after most of the eggs have hatched but before your plants are seriously damaged. If you are faced with an onslaught of these unwanted visitors to the garden, you can start by handpicking the mature pests and their larvae, and crushing their egg masses. If you grow trap crops around the perimeter of your garden, the beetles will colonize the first host they see. And read on for more articles about insect pests here: © Ask the Experts, LLC. We occasionally link to goods offered by vendors to help the reader find relevant products. The larvae go through four growth stages (instars), and the fourth instar larvae cause the most damage to food crops. Floating Row Covers. Be sure to wear gloves, and wash your hands afterwards. If you plant in the same spot as last year, you're giving the beetles convenient access to your plants. Depending on the climate, these pests can live through the winter as adults in gardens, field margins, and windbreaks. Potato Bugs refer to the Colorado Potato Beetle, a common garden pest known for damaging potatoes and other vegetables and can do a lot of damage if there is no intervention. One of Helga George’s greatest childhood joys was reading about rare and greenhouse plants that would not grow in Delaware. And they also lay waste to these fruits and vegetables: Infestations are so serious that they have even been considered part of international warfare! However, often when you spray an insecticide, you also kill the natural enemies of the pest you are trying to control. In the 1950s, East Germans called these pests “Yankee beetles” and accused the United States government of dropping them from planes during the Cold War. Establish a small pond or wetlands near your garden and toads will take up residence. Take care that you apply these pesticides in a safe manner and follow all the instructions on the label. Esfenvalerate may be one to try. Add a birdbath and insect eating birds will drop by for a quick dip and a snack of beetles. Potato beetles are gardening nightmares, frequently eating up plants in the nightshade family (Solanaceae), including potatoes, eggplants, peppers, and tomatoes. This wasp will lay its eggs in those of the beetles. Small larvae are easier to control than adults and mature larvae, therefore, spray when the larvae have just hatched in spring. Plant Row Covers. You can tell the difference because the false potato beetles have alternating white and black stripes on their shells. See our TOS for more details. Once the eggs hatch, the larvae do the majority of the damage to potato plants while satisfying their voracious appetites. Colorado potato beetle is a key pest of potato and eggplant throughout the Northeast and requires a combination of cultural, biological and chemical strategies for effective control. I am delighted that you found the article helpful. This special fabric allows air and light through but will foil hungry potato beetles. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. As a result, your best weapons for dealing with the Colorado potato beetle are vigilance and speed. ground cherry, horse nettle, tomato, and buffalo-bur, Harvesting Okra: When and How to Pluck Those Prickly Pods, How to Grow Sunflowers: a Beautiful and Tasty Addition to Your Landscape, Collecting Flower Seeds: How and When to Harvest Seeds from the Garden for Planting, How to Plant and Grow Garlic in Your Veggie Patch, How to Grow and Care for Ornamental Flowering Kale, How to Prevent and Treat Powdery Mildew on Pumpkin Plants. One type of bioinsecticide contains Bacillus thuringiensis var. In short, potato bugs discussed in this article are Colorado potato beetles that are commonly found in some parts of North America, including Colorado and Mexico. Several sprays exist to kill Colorado potato beetle. A. Alyohkin and co-authors claimed “the Colorado potato beetle played a large role in creating the modern pesticide industry” in a 2008 issue of the American Journal of Potato Research. Potato Beetles. Normally thought of as a menace in their own right, several types of stinkbugs prey on L. decemlineata. A few good options include catnip, tansy, and sage. However, you should hold off until you have consulted with your local county extension agent. There are several plants that deter potato beetles. Rotate your crops. Don't grow potatoes in the same spot year after year. However, no one beetle is resistant to all insecticides. Try planting at least one or two of them alongside or even interplanted with your potatoes. Some of these links may be affiliate in nature, meaning we earn small commissions if items are purchased. There are a few methods that work well against potato beetle once plants are infested. Their most critical time is after flowering, when the tubers have begun to bulk up. Another solution to get rid of potato beetles is trapping. Effective organic controls include treating with insecticidal oil and removing the bugs manually. If growing potato plants have developed flower buds by the time the larvae settle in to feed, they may migrate to … Adults feed for a short time in the spring, and then begin to mate and lay clusters of 10-30 eggs on the undersides of leaves. BotaniGard® ES Beauveria bassiana spores via ARBICO Organics. A single female can lay over 500 eggs over a 4 to 5-week period, and they can mature from larvae to adult beetles in 1.5-3 weeks, depending on the climate. Killed the ones on the surface, will wait and see what happens underground. 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