Shop Products
Houzz Logo Print
tifolie

Potato Beetles !!!

tifolie
12 years ago

My son is just starting to plant. We are in Ontario. He has the use of a huge 150 year old farm garden. There are potato beetles running around and not even any plants in the ground yet! My son was spending all his time squishing bugs with rocks! I keep reading so many different ways of dealing with this, but wondering if there is something we can do BEFORE we plant. I am scared for his poor pepper seedlings! The farmer who gave us the garden said that nothing kills them except picking them off one by one. If this is the case, my son will have to camp out there in a tent! This is my son's summer business and it is discouraging if you have the bugs lined up waiting for us to begin! Thanks so much for any advice!

Comments (11)

  • cowpie51
    12 years ago

    dear fellow gardener here is link to help you asap.

    Here is a link that might be useful: garden bug removal

  • tifolie
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    I have been reading about nematodes. Is it best to spray this in between the rows or should we spray it down the rows and plant right away? We need to get our plants and seeds in right away, but don't know if you need to wait a certain amount of time before planting after applying something like Terranem. Thanks so much for any help.

  • tifolie
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Thanks for that link, Cowpie51....you saved me time! I am exhausted from gardens already....I have a tiny one of my own and my son's summer garden is 20 times the size of mine!
    I didn't read your post until I had already asked another question above about Nematodes. Thanks for your help!
    If anyone knows about Nematodes please comment if you have the time. Thanks so much!

  • jrslick (North Central Kansas, Zone 5B)
    12 years ago

    We just hand pick them once or twice a day. We walk our potato patches and get as many as possible. When we find a "Hot Spot" we try to pick all we can find. Yes it takes awhile, but we find if you do this for 1-2 weeks, you reduce the number by a great margin. We planted 300 pounds of seed potatoes this year.

    Jay

  • myfamilysfarm
    12 years ago

    I have always planted my green beans near my potatoes and haven't seen hardly any since I started doing this. I know some people will discount this, but it has worked for me. It's worth a try.

    Marla

  • little_minnie
    12 years ago

    Spinosad works ok on CPBs. You can get a formula for them. Squish the bugs between fingers not with a rock. They don't prefer peppers if there are eggplant, potatoes or tomatoes (in that order). They will kill eggplant quickly.

  • thinman
    12 years ago

    OK, I'll bite, Minnie. Why not squish them with a rock?

    ThinMan

  • henhousefarms
    12 years ago

    Because it is so much more satisfying of course.

    Actually, I think I read that the bug juice on your fingers transfers to the plants as you work, and the CPB dislike the smell of their departed brethren so it has a deterent effect.

    Tom

  • little_minnie
    12 years ago

    Most of the time they are on a plant and you need to quickly pinch them dead before you lose them. I squished a few today in the vicinity going 'hey where are the potatoes this year?'

  • Belgianpup
    12 years ago

    It's a pity you don't have a flock of chickens to turn loose on them. Those feathered piranhas are quicker than any human hand, and they don't bother with rocks.

    If you do have some chickens (borrowed?), get some fence wire and circle the area, turn the birds loose.

  • DVTO2_aol_com
    12 years ago

    I have chickens and have been hand picking and feeding them to them They seemed a little shy of them at first but now gobble them up. I've been meaning to try them but was a little concerned they would eat the potato plants as well.

Sponsored