cucumber beetle and squash bugs are taking over

[RED FRONTIER]

I need some help with cucumber beetles and squash bugs. last year they killed 90% of my plants.
I wood like to keep it as organic as possible and not use the jug of seven or some old garden dust from my parents. I really need a good harvest of cuks so I can make some Bread and Butter pickles
and dills. Any thoughts would be apreciated. Thanks

 

[Backwoods Savage]

If one wants to grow things, sometimes you have to just suck it up and use things that have proven to work. You can try mixing up some dish soap and spray that on the bugs.

 

[Mrs. Krabappel]

I haven't tried this, but I've heard that you can cover them with netting while they are growing but uncover once the flowers need pollinating. I've had some luck just killing the buggers early, as the grubs are easy to find.

 

[laynes69]

I had the same issues last year. I make many homemade pickles and got 1 picking before the plants died. The cucumber beetle not only harms the plants, but spreads disease. I've done alot of reading on sevin and found it to be about harmless on humans, I know some may disagree. Even with that I'm in the same boat and would like to reduce the use of sevin except for gourds or pumpkins. After some reading neem oil harms the insects that eat the plants but is harmless to bees and beneficial insects. They need to consume the neem for it to kill them. Also neem is a fungicide which treats and prevents Downey and powdery mildew which kill cucumbers as well as other viruses. Neem oil is organic also which is why I am going to give it a try. Good luck this year, I will need it also. Last year I did plant late and did do a little better.

 

[Adios Pantalones]

For the boring worms in the vine- early application of Bt seems to work, but does nothing against the adults. reapply after rains. Also kills tomato horn worms very effectively.

 

[laynes69]

I haven't tried the neem oil yet, but lightly dusted the plants with sevin. There had appeared to be some damage to the plants from the beetles. The next morning there were quite a few cucumber beetles dead underneath the plants. They've been in for a little over 2 1/2 weeks so it hasn't taken long for the beetles to find the plants. I'm going to experiment and use neem on a few and sevin on the others. If disease kicks in or viruses then I will use the neem oil. I don't want a single pick season like last year. Damn things are terrible, trying to use the safest effective approach. If I didn't trellis the plants, I would try a row cover.

 

[save$]

The white netting works until you take it off so the flowers get pollinated. You can try ivory soap and hot pepper mixed and watered on. But that will need to be replaced with every rain. I put the dust on and forget about it all.

 

[ISeeDeadBTUs]

Rotenone is considered organic, I believe. But my experience is that it inhibits pollination.

Far and away the BEST method . . . Propogate/Grow curcubits away from the garden. Keep them warm at night, hot during the day, and water them daily. Planting them in plastic helps them stay hydrated. Only set them out in the garden after they are well developed. I have had sucess transplanting them with blossoms on, but you must prepare a hole for them, fill it with the best compost you can find, saturate it, then carefully plant. If its sunny, cover with a white sheet till the sun goes down.

I've never tried BT, but if it works on the cuke beetle like it does on the imported cabbage worm, that would be awesome!

2Day is June 2, and I have cukes about 2" . Nope, not braggin, but yes, I'm happy for doing that in Upstate NY