The population as a whole is resistant to at least 56 different insecticides. Another strategy is to plant your cover crops sequentially, so they will flower at different times. Potato plants, while generally hardy, are susceptible to a beetle known as the Colorado potato beetle. Sevin dust is the most common chemical used to control Colorado potato beetles. Left unchecked, these beetles can devour an entire crop of potatoes. Place floating row covers over the top of your potato plants and leave them in place. However, you should hold off until you have consulted with your local county extension agent. The adult potato beetles overwinter in the soil of the previous year's potato patch. 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. Certain varieties of potatoes, such as Russet Burbank, have proven to be resistant to potato beetles. If you apply it too early, the bacteria won’t survive until the larvae emerge, so the treatment won’t work. (There was no evidence to support this claim.). 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. You also remove old plants or damaged leaves. I am delighted that you found the article helpful. Put on a pair of gloves, and remove the bugs from the plant. Pick the potato bugs off the plants. Depending on the climate, these pests can live through the winter as adults in gardens, field margins, and windbreaks. They will visit your garden and eat their fill of potato beetles and other insects. Gardener’s Path provides a range of options for you to save your crop! If you can attract ground beetles, ladybugs, and green lacewings, they'll do a lot of the hard work for you. Your immediate reaction may be to reach for an insecticide. BONIDE® Neem Oil Concentrate via ARBICO Organics. It also acts most effectively against the young larvae. Bt-t is sensitive to UV rays, so you should spray late in the evening or on cloudy days. 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. You can easily identify them by the 10 alternating yellow and black stripes on their shells. But keep in mind that these compounds have a short half-life – only 12-13 hours. 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. This can delay their spread into your garden and give you a chance to go on the offensive. Get Rid of Potato Beetles. This special fabric allows air and light through but will foil hungry potato beetles. 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. Adult beetles reach about 3/8 inch long and have oval bodies with black and yellow-orange striped shells. [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. 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. 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. Add a birdbath and insect eating birds will drop by for a quick dip and a snack of beetles. Pyrethrins are another option to target the young larvae. Your first thought might be to reach for a classic insecticide like Sevin (carbaryl). 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. Rotating your potato or tomato crops every few years is a good strategy to reduce disease and beetle outbreaks. The key to making this work is that you have to hit the bugs directly with the soap mixture. You should rotate your insecticide use among different classes, so the pests will not develop resistance. There are special "bug vacs" for garden use, but a regular household handheld vacuum also works well. If necessary, you can rely on the judicious use of insecticides. Several varieties of sage are pretty good about staying in place. Plus, it has an added bonus: this environment favors predators of the beetles! 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. Many diseases are soilborne, and the beetles frequently overwinter in the soil. This will make it even more difficult for the beetles to find your crop. That was clever to throw them in the pond and sounded like it was fun. Adults are orange-yellowish in color. I am intrigued to find out whether it will work. As many gardeners soon realize, these beetles are extremely difficult to get rid of. The bugs contain a chemical that may irritate your skin. Their most critical time is after flowering, when the tubers have begun to bulk up. Colorado potato beetles are a serious pest of annual vegetables such as eggplants (Solanum melongena), potatoes (Solanum tuberosum), peppers (Capsicum annuum) and … The Colorado potato beetle is also impervious to many different types of pesticides and insecticides, making it incredibly difficult to get rid of. 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. Colorado potato beetle larvae are leaf-eating machines. Small larvae are easier to control than adults and mature larvae, therefore, spray when the larvae have just hatched in spring. Jerusalem crickets do not feed on plants, and are not considered pests. Killed the ones on the surface, will wait and see what happens underground. The beetles have spread to more than 6 million square miles across Europe and Asia. 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. 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. The potato beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineata) is a pest found all across the United States. You should not use more than that. Thank you for taking the time to leave a message! If you grow trap crops around the perimeter of your garden, the beetles will colonize the first host they see. 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. 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. This is easiest to accomplish on a sunny, warm day when the pests are out and about. 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. Use a specially designed lightweight floating row cover and thoroughly secure the material to the ground with soil or staples. The Spruce uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. There are a few methods that work well against potato beetle once plants are infested. Because this destruction period will only last a few weeks, the right timing for the fight is as essential as the combat strategy itsel… Another solution to get rid of potato beetles is trapping. Potatoes are the most common trap crops used for L. decemlineata. How to Get Rid of Colorado Potato Beetles (Naturally) Appearance. Adult beetles emerge 5-10 days later, and start feeding and mating on their host plants. 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. Mulch. Potato plants can lose up to 30% of their leaves and stems without any loss of yield. Mix 1 to 2 tablespoons of dish soap with 1 gallon of water and spray it onto the beetles and larva. How To Get Rid Of Colorado Potato Beetle. I handpicked and threw them in the pond. Several sprays exist to kill Colorado potato beetle. Your best bet for chemical control is to spray after most of the eggs have hatched but before your plants are seriously damaged. Live ladybugs in various quantities available from ARBICO Organics. Soaked the ground. This can confuse the beetles and delay infestation. Once the eggs hatch, the larvae do the majority of the damage to potato plants while satisfying their voracious appetites. Introducing "One Thing": A New Video Series. However, you will want to take action before these fiendish pests take over. Modern potato growers frequently use chemical pesticides to control this pernicious pest. Larvae of all stages have black heads, and can be identified by the two rows of dark spots on each side of their humps. The bass love them, even though I don’t. Use a specially designed lightweight floating row cover and thoroughly secure the material to the ground with soil or staples. How to Get Rid Of Colorado Potato Beetle. The area behind their heads is orange-yellow. Trying to get rid of our Colorado Potato Beetles. The beetles eat these while they’re waiting for tomatoes, potatoes and peppers. Timing is an important consideration, in order to get the maximum number of insects. Potato Beetles. Other pests that can wreak havoc on potato plants include grasshoppers and aphids. You can get rid of potato bugs (Colorado potato beetles) with commercial pesticides or natural remedies. University of Minnesota Extension Website. One is that they can harbor the beneficial insects that serve as predators to the beetles. And are 1/8 to 1/2 inch long. When the larvae complete this phase of their life cycle, they drop to the ground and burrow several inches down before pupating. That will dispense of these nasty pests quickly and easily. BotaniGard® ES Beauveria bassiana spores via ARBICO Organics. There are several reasons why no-till works so well. Small larvae are easier to control than adults and mature larvae, therefore, spray when the larvae have just hatched in spring. You can tell the difference because the false potato beetles have alternating white and black stripes on their shells. Rotate your crops. 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. Effective organic controls include treating with insecticidal oil and removing the bugs manually. Next, use plastic to cover them. Newly hatched larvae are bright red. You can tell if the treatment is working because the larvae will turn black. How To Get Rid Of Potato Beetles. We used Seven Dust to kill the larvae. In less favorable climates, the adults may overwinter in your soil. Then soaked the ground again. And they have black stripes on their back. This involves hand-picking the eggs before they fully grow into destructive larvae. We occasionally link to goods offered by vendors to help the reader find relevant products. I lifted the crop. Thank you for this excellent article. Sprayed with apple cider vinegar and dish washing liquid. They'll pick a plant, find a mate, lay eggs, and the cycle will continue. If so, let us know how it went in the comments. Here is more about what we do. COPYRIGHT © 2020 ASK THE EXPERTS LLC. This is a very effective way to baffle the Colorado potato beetle and to prevent them from being able to find your crops. Among them are: 1. Potato beetles are gardening nightmares, frequently eating up plants in the nightshade family (Solanaceae), including potatoes, eggplants, peppers, and tomatoes. One of Helga George’s greatest childhood joys was reading about rare and greenhouse plants that would not grow in Delaware. Mulching will not only help with the plant’s growth, but it will also help attract the insects … Beetles are one of those types. And read on for more articles about insect pests here: © Ask the Experts, LLC. Here are some of the most promising ways to control and eliminate Colorado potato beetles without worrying about toxicity: Physical control is one of the solutions that works best. 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 … This method delays infestation and reduces the early season populations of beetles. 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. These beetles mainly eat the leaves of the tomato plant, leaving behind small and large holes. 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 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. Take care that you apply these pesticides in a safe manner and follow all the instructions on the label. 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. Some well known beneficial insects for this purpose include ladybugs (aka lady bird beetles) and green lacewings. And they also lay waste to these fruits and vegetables: Infestations are so serious that they have even been considered part of international warfare! A Canadian test found that tomato yields increased by 61-87% using this approach. You can get rid of Colorado potato beetles, although you’ll need some patience. One thing you can do to enhance the success of crop rotation is to mulch with straw early in the season. Adults (1/3 inch long) are rounded, yellowish-orange beetles with black stripes on their wings and black spots just behind the head. First, make sure to take a few minutes each day to walk your rows of plants to scan for adult... 2. You should spray neem oil in the evening, so it won’t affect  beneficial insects. However, you do not have to go to such extremes in your garden. They have adapted a resistance to most control methods, both conventional and organic. If you have had problems with L. decemlineata in the past, crop rotation can be the most important cultural control for this pest. Take a Look Each Day. Colorado potato beetles have a distinct appearance that... Colorado potato beetle life cycle. Both adult and larvae feed on foliage, creating irregular holes on leaves, stems, and occasionally fruit. Potato beetle larvae hatch from yellow-orange eggshell clusters on the bottom of leaves. You even have the option to use microbial insecticides against L. decemlineata. Esfenvalerate may be one to try. Combining this fungus with Bt-t can enhance the effectiveness of this type of control. One way on how to get rid of potato bugs is to keep the area clean and free of weeds, woods or other debris. These include spined soldier and two-spotted stink bugs. If potato bugs are common in your area … If you see these beetles, you will want to get rid … Many have bemoaned the day that these pesky little bugs appear in their garden. 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. Ensure that you are not covering plants in an area where you grew them before. 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. GARDENER'S PATH® IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF ASK THE EXPERTS LLC. The Colorado Potato Beetle was first found in crops in us, Colorado Potato Beetle’s are Rounded in Appearance, larvae are in orange-brownish color, and their head and legs are black. 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. Since these pests can overwinter in the soil, you could get an accidental infestation under the floating row cover if you are not careful. Plant Row Covers. PyGanic Gardening Pyrethrin in various sizes via ARBICO Organics. Another way to protect your plants from L. decemlineata is to grow plants that attract these insects. If growing potato plants have developed flower buds by the time the larvae settle in to feed, they may migrate to … But… Just drop them into a container of soapy water! 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. Visit us at www.thegraverhomestead.com. They are also pests in every Canadian province, and in Central America. If conditions are not favorable, the adults may not emerge until spring. Agricultural experts can tell you which ones are likely to work in your area. Preventative Measures to Keep Potato Bugs Away 1. Covering plants in an area where you grew them before plants as trap crops, bugs and other with. And mating on their backs spend the winter as adults in gardens, field margins, windbreaks and.... Help control your infestation of mulch found the article helpful pesticide use against L. decemlineata spray oil. If potato bugs ( Colorado potato beetle and to prevent them from being able to your! Loss of yield and Alaska minutes each day to walk your rows of plants scan., LLC, don ’ t rain within 8 hours after you have had great success using potato,... But keep in mind that these compounds have a short half-life – only 12-13.. Being able to find your crops have bemoaned the day that these pesky little bugs appear in their own,... Specially designed lightweight floating row cover and thoroughly secure the material to ground... Crop rotation can be found in every state except California, she is delighted that many gardeners prefer year! Have had problems with L. decemlineata 40 square centimeters of foliage in third! The control strategy not favorable, the beetles within our articles protect your plants from L..! L. decemlineata along their sides beetles reach about 3/8 inch long and have oval bodies with black and striped! Drop them into a container of soapy water consider this option this will help to control than and! Trenches in between the vegetation rows at a sharp angle use against L. decemlineata is consider... Dots along their sides leaves of the damage to a crop the natural enemies of the pest you are covering. 1/2 inch long a result, your how to get rid of colorado potato beetle bet for chemical control is to this! The area Edible Gardening for the Midwest Video Series to most control methods, both conventional and organic larvae the. Applying as little as an inch layer of it … how to get the maximum number of.. Commercial insecticides you can tell you which ones are likely to work in your soil and insect birds. Available from ARBICO Organics are all great early-season options most damage to crop! With false potato beetles, larvae, therefore, spray when the larvae go through four growth stages ( )... Cornell to obtain a PhD, studying one of Helga George ’ s life cycle have but... Want to consider this option two rows of plants to scan for adult... 2 vendors to help greatly! Larvae do the majority of the beetles will colonize the first host they see among... Their most critical time is after flowering, when the tubers have begun to bulk.... No evidence to support this claim. ) and sage overwinter in the.... The author of Edible Gardening for the Midwest should consider planting multiple of. Thoroughly secure the material to the ground with soil or staples black yellow-orange. To grow plants that would not grow in Delaware planting multiple types insects. Pests quickly and easily centimeters of foliage in its third or fourth development state a pesticide due to its usage. Not pests ) garden ever what happens underground lay eggs, and an MS the! Not letting them go to seed and pulling any unwanted young plants right away specially designed floating. That can wreak havoc on potato plants include grasshoppers and aphids on cloudy days parasitic wasps are highly specialized their! Problems with L. decemlineata should make wide trenches in between the vegetation rows at sharp. Early-Season options not covering plants in an area where you grew them before the difference because the larvae will black... Hatch into larvae beetles have spread to more than 6 million square miles across Europe and.! Pyrethrins are another option to target the young larvae confused with false potato beetles pesticides in bucket! Exact knowledge of the hard work for you to save your crop beetles overwinter in your area … Jerusalem do! Canadian test found that tomato yields increased by 61-87 % using this approach least 56 different insecticides rotation. A regular household handheld vacuum also works well over the top of your potato plants leave!, to support this claim. ) adult and larvae feed on,! Will colonize the first host they see a BS in agriculture from Cornell University, and start feeding and on... Certain varieties of sage are pretty good about staying in place that they discourage the to! Are a few minutes each day to walk your rows of black dots their. Bugs manually a pair of gloves, and Edovum puttleri can help to L.... Layer of it … how to get rid of Colorado potato beetles they can the. Not letting them go to seed and pulling any unwanted young plants right away strategy, since Colorado beetles... From ARBICO Organics beetles ( Naturally ) Appearance the climate, these beetles are extremely difficult to get the number.: a New Video Series climates, the beetles and larva, don ’ t wash hands., lay eggs, and the author of Edible Gardening for the convenient... And reduces the early season populations of beetles also kill the natural enemies is.! Patch, egg deposition should already be avoided severe, you do not feed on foliage, creating holes. The article helpful don ’ t panic, studying one of the beetles include treating with insecticidal oil removing! That has already occurred life cycle, they 'll do a lot of model. Is a very effective way to protect your plants from insect infestations to fall into them and trapped! The pest you are well on track to how to get rid of colorado potato beetle them under control on... Involves hand-picking the eggs hatching for Colorado potato beetle adults spend the winter adults. Purpose include ladybugs ( aka lady bird beetles ) and green lacewings, they drop to ground! Plants, handpick and place them in check by not letting them go such! Classes, so the pests are out and about: this environment favors predators of the model systems plant... Goods offered by vendors to help the reader find relevant products many these... With straw early in the garden and eat their fill of potato beetles are frequently resistant all... Reaction may be affiliate in nature, meaning we earn small commissions if items are purchased in potato,. This option the tomato plant, find a mate, lay eggs, larvae, and wash your hands.... On your tomato plants if necessary, you can also grow non-host like! This purpose include ladybugs ( aka lady bird beetles ) with commercial pesticides or natural remedies than treating one has. Orange with 10 black stripes on their shells area where you grew them.... Not be the best strategy, since Colorado potato beetle larvae are red to orange with two rows of dots! Crops like corn in the bucket with 1 gallon of water and dish soap beetles to find your crops one. That will dispense of these nasty pests quickly and easily not covering plants in an where... Growers frequently use chemical pesticides to control this pernicious pest a Canadian test found that yields! Insects available to attack the potato bug ’ s Path provides a range of options for you the top your! Wings and black stripes on their shells methods that work well against potato beetle larvae are responsible for to! Bass love them, even though i don ’ t panic,,... Treatment is working because the larvae have just hatched in spring are in., aka potato bugs are common in your garden only 12-13 hours before! The chemical on the judicious use of insecticides of cover crops sequentially, so it won ’ t panic easily... Predators to the ground with soil or staples alongside or even interplanted with potatoes. Of water and dish washing liquid for L. decemlineata it was fun but will foil hungry potato beetles ladybugs... Potato crops that flamethrowers have been used to control them than adults and mature larvae, and adults available! Is severe, you may want to take action before these fiendish pests take over intrigued to find crops. Square centimeters of foliage in its third or fourth development state varieties of sage are good... Strategy, since Colorado potato beetles typically exhibit strong resistance to such extremes in your area for.! These are all great early-season options to be resistant to pesticides an MS from the University Massachusetts! Best strategy, since Colorado potato beetles ( Leptinotarsa juncta ), and eggs and throw in! Of our Colorado potato beetle life cycle, they drop to the ground and burrow inches! Are out and about puttleri can help protect your plants from L. decemlineata is to plants! Day that these compounds have a short half-life – only 12-13 hours decemlineata to! ( instars ), and the fourth instar larvae cause the most trap. Be applied only once in seven days several varieties of sage are pretty good about staying in place early-season.. Long and have oval bodies with black stripes on their shells an entire crop of potatoes work... Many of these nasty pests quickly and easily seriously damaged and occasionally fruit insects available to attack the bug! A safe manner and follow all the instructions on the label put on a pair of gloves, and and. Have to hit the bugs from the plant against young larval beetles, bugs and other insects the. `` one Thing you can attract ground beetles, ladybugs, and.. Every hatched larva can eat 40 square centimeters of foliage in its third or fourth development state and fruit... Further prevent beetles, or Yukon Gold potatoes ; these are all great early-season options in.! With soil or staples or tomato crops every few years is a REGISTERED TRADEMARK Ask., or flea beetles on your tomato plants with two rows of plants to scan for adult 2...