Cucumber beetles continued

In article , "Matthew Reed" says... :) These pests are devestating my cukes, squash, and are nibbling on my beans :) and sunflowers. I don't want to use the chemicals because the plants are :) starting to produce - my zuccinnis are exploding, cukes are blooming, etc. :) What works with these things, but won't render the fruit of the plants :) inedible? :) :) :)

-- There are BT strains for beetles, but not sure if I have ever seen it on the consumer market yet....pyrethrum spray has no residual so a spraying at night should help a lot and not bother your harvest time. Lar

In my experience Pyrethrum has little effect on these beetles and the damage they do.

Pyrethrum is a continual use product for population reduction. Many feel a spray or two and they should have results they want. It only kills what it contacts so the next few days a new population can make their way to the crops and look to have done no good at all. A nightly application for one to two weeks will show results and then start again as needed.

What about pyrethrum with piperonly butoxide? The bottle says you can use it on the same day as harvest.

:) > :) > -- There are BT strains for beetles, but not sure if I have ever :) > seen it :) > :) > on the consumer market yet....pyrethrum spray has no residual so a :) > :) > spraying at night should help a lot and not bother your harvest :) > time. :) > :) > Lar :) > :) :) > :) In my experience Pyrethrum has little effect on these beetles and the :) > damage :) > :) they do. :) > :) :) > :) :) >

:) > Pyrethrum is a continual use product for population reduction. Many feel :) > a spray or two and they should have results they want. It only kills :) > what it contacts so the next few days a new population can make their :) > way to the crops and look to have done no good at all. A nightly :) > application for one to two weeks will show results and then start again :) > as needed. :) > -- :) > Lar :) :) What about pyrethrum with piperonly butoxide? The bottle says you can use it :) on the same day as harvest. :)

It's the piperonly butoxide that makes pyrethrum effective...think (thought) all pyrethrin/um products contained it.

Cayenne pepper does not work against cucumber beetles. Besides most cucumber beetles will be on the underside of the leaves so sprinkling anything on the leaves has little affect. I've planted the recommended companion plants (marigolds) and they had no effect either. The closest thing that worked was using a physical barrier. It's a spun polyester fabric called Remay that covers the plant. They still managed to get to some plants by either burrowing through the soil or finding small openings in the covering. You also need to remove the covering at some point for polination of the flowers which could allow the beetles in.

-al sung Rapid Realm Technology, Inc. Hopkinton, MA Zone 6a