Control of Cucurbit Insects
| Pests | Natural, Less Toxic Pesticides |
|---|---|
| Melon Aphids | Insecticidal soap Neem oil extract Pyrethrin |
| Cucumber Beetle | Pyrethrin Neem oil extract |
| Squash Beetle | Pyrethrin Neem oil extract |
| Pickleworms | Bacillus thuringiensis (B.t.) Pyrethrin Neem oil extract Spinosad |
What do you spray cucumbers with?
Spray them with water or insecticidal soap or rotenone. Encourage beneficial predators, such as ladybugs and lacewings. Whiteflies can also be found congregating on the underside of the cucumber leaves. Again, beneficial insects should be encouraged.
What is the best pesticide for cucumber beetles?
A combination of pyrethrin insecticides and neem can effectively manage cucumber beetle, though you will likely need to apply more than once. Pyrethrins are contact insecticides that will kill most insects, including beneficials, so take care to apply either early or later in the day.
Does soap spray work on cucumber beetles?
Would a vegetable soap prevent these beetles from attacking my cucumbers?” No, John. Washing down plant leaves with horticultural soaps or oils won’t prevent anything. Insecticidal soaps and oils simply smother any insects you hit directly with the spray.
How do you stop cucumber beetles?
Use a physical barrier. You can try to protect your cucurbits by building a floating row cover or similar barrier during early to mid-June to keep the striped cucumber beetles away from your plants. Be sure to remove the barrier when cucurbits start to flower.
What kills cucumber beetles naturally?
Natural predators to cucumber beetles include:
- Soldier beetles.
- Tachinid flies.
- Ground beetles.
- Entomopathogenic nematodes.
- Braconid wasps.
What is eating holes in my cucumber leaves?
The most common cause of holes in cucumber leaves is the striped and the spotted cucumber beetle. The adult beetles mainly feed on the leaves, leaving irregularly shaped holes. Other causes of holes in cucumber leaves are anthracnose, angular leaf spot disease, and scab.
How do you control cucumber beetles organically?
How to Control Cucumber Beetles Organically
- Inspect Your Garden Regularly. Inspect your garden regularly for cucumber beetles, larvae, and eggs.
- Remove the Bugs and Eggs by Hand.
- Introduce Natural Predators.
- Apply Diatomaceous Earth.
- Apply Neem Oil.
- Apply Garlic and Pepper Spray.
- Apply Kaolin Clay.
- Remove Diseased Plants.
Do marigolds keep cucumber beetles away?
Grow repellent plants.
Flowers like nasturtium and marigolds, an herb such as catnip, and veggies like radishes and corn help keep cucumber beetles away.
What are the tiny black bugs on my cucumber plants?
Aphids are tiny insects with long, slender mouth parts used to pierce stems and leaves of plants to suck out the plant’s fluids. Aphids range in size from 1/16 to 1/8 inch long. These insects can be almost any color, including green, black, brown, red or pink.
Will neem oil get rid of cucumber beetles?
Neem oil is an effective organic pesticide that can be used to control cucumber beetles early on. Neem oil works by disrupting the development of the beetle, preventing them from feeding and reproducing, causing them to die from starvation.
Can you spray neem oil on cucumber plants?
Cucumbers are often attacked by cucumber beetles and other insects. I use Neem Oil and soap to make my spray. They also can get powdery mildew. For that, I use a baking soda spray.
Does Dill repel cucumber beetles?
The heavily scented leaves of dill may repel other insects, as well, or simply mask the scent of the host plant. Many gardeners find success planting nasturtiums among cucumber vines to repel the cucumber beetles that feed on cucumber leaves and flowers, and transmit bacterial wilt.
How long do cucumber beetles last?
about 8 weeks
They are easily identifiable by their yellow color and black spots or stripes. Cucumber beetles have a lifespan of about 8 weeks and are especially active in the springtime when the stems and leaves of the plants are young and tender.
What does cucumber beetle look like?
Spotted cucumber beetle (Diabrotica undecimpunctata howardi)
About 1/5 inch long and 1/10 inch wide. Yellow wings with 12 black spots on their wings. Black head and antennae. Orange-yellow prothorax (the area behind the head).
What cucumbers are resistant to cucumber beetles?
Ashley, Chipper, and Gemini cucumbers are notable for having resistance to spotted cucumber beetles both as seedlings and as mature plants. The melons Super Star, Rising Star, Pulsar, Passport, and Galia are less preferred by the striped cucumber beetles than other varieties of muskmelon.
What are these bugs on my cucumber plants?
Cucumber beetles, squash bugs, whiteflies, and aphids are among the most common bugs found on cucumber plants, and each requires a slightly different method of control.
How do you keep cucumber plants healthy?
Cucumbers will grow quickly with little care. Be sure they receive an inch of water every week. Make the most of your food growing efforts by regularly feeding plants with a water-soluble plant food. When soil is warm, add a layer of straw mulch to keep fruit clean and help keep slugs and beetles away.
How do I get rid of cucumber beetle larvae?
Use yellow sticky traps to catch cucumber beetles and other pests. Knock beetles to the ground and catch them with a piece of cardboard placed under the plant. Or, use a handheld vacuum to suck up the beetles.
Do banana peels keep aphids away?
Natural Pest Repellent
Cut up banana peels to bury 1 to 2 inches deep in the soil around plants that are prone to aphid infestations to repel and remove aphids from the area.
How do you treat cucumber aphids?
Dissolve a handful of soap powder in 5 liters of water then add two spoonfuls of frying oil. Spray the plants fully, including the undersides of the leaves. Wait 15 minutes then spray the plants with water to wash off the soap.
Gerardo Gonzalez loves cooking. He became interested in it at a young age, and has been honing his skills ever since. He enjoys experimenting with new recipes, and is always looking for ways to improve his technique.
Gerardo’s friends and family are the lucky beneficiaries of his delicious cooking. They always enjoy trying out his latest creations, and often give him feedback on how he can make them even better. Gerardo takes their input to heart, and uses it to continue refining his culinary skills.