Container Gardening Complete

Job:06-700309 Title: CPS - Container Gardening Complete

700309 - ContainerGardens_001-272_FINAL.indd 176 5/24/17 12:18 PM
Job:06-700309 Title: CPS - Container Gardening Complete
Job:06-700309 Title: CPS - Container Gardening Complete

700309 - ContainerGardens_001-272_FINAL.indd 177 5/24/17 12:18 PM

176 chapter 4

Colorado Potato Beetle

(Leptinotarsa decemlineata)

North American geographical range: All areas of

the United States., except the Pacific Northwest

and the extreme South. Also Southern Canada.

Identification: 1 ⁄ 3 in. long adult beetles have a

rounded, hard shell. The wing covers are black

and tan striped, with the head having several

irregular black spots. Full grown larvae are^1 ⁄ 2 in.

long, fat, and reddish-pink, with rows of black dots

on their sides.

Plants affected: All members of the tomato family,

including potatoes, tomatoes, eggplants, peppers,

and tobacco.

Feeding habits and damage: Colorado potato

beetle larvae and adults quickly skeletonize

foliage. They’re most often found on the top-most

leaves of the plant. You may also find pellets of

their black excrement.

Physical controls: Cover potato plants with

floating row cover, and leave it in place until

harvest. On tomatoes and other crops, handpick

the adults and larvae every few days. Clean up

garden debris and rotate crops to keep the adult

beetles from overwintering.

Product controls: Bacillus thuringiensis (B. t.) var.

San Diego or B. t. va r. tenebrionsis, spinosad-, and

neem-based insecticides.

Colorado potato beetle larvae have a distinctive, rounded shape. They’re fond of all members of the tomato family,

but are most common on potatoes.

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Troubleshooting 177

Cucumber beetle

(striped species: Acalymma

vittata; spotted species: Diabrotica

undecimpunctata howardi)

North American geographical range: All

Identification: Both common species, striped and

spotted, measure^1 ⁄ 4 in. long at maturity. Adult

striped beetles are bright yellow with three broad

black stripes. Spotted cucumber beetles are

greenish-yellow with eleven (eastern species) or

twelve (western species) black spots on the wing

covers. Larvae live underground and feed on

plant roots.

Plants affected: All members of the curcurbit

family, including cucumbers, melons, pumpkins,

and squash. Other plants occasionally damaged

include: beans, corn, beets, potatoes, tomatoes,

asparagus, flowers, and soft fruits.

Feeding habits and damage: Feeding damage

creates small, ragged holes in plant leaves and

flowers. The biggest issue with cucumber beetles,

however, is their ability to transmit deadly

bacterial wilt to plants.

Physical controls: Plant only bacterial wilt-

resistant cucumber varieties. Cover susceptible

plants with floating row cover when they’re

young, but remove it when the plants come into

flower. Place yellow sticky cards above plant tops

to trap the adult beetles. Mulch newly planted

seedlings with a loose material, like straw or hay,

as soon as they’re planted, creating a barrier for

females who need to access the soil to lay eggs.

Product controls: Neem, spinosad, and pyrethrins.

The striped cucumber beetle is a major pest of

cucumbers and other vine crops. Damage appears as

small, ragged holes in plant leaves and flowers.

In addition to feeding on host plant foliage, the

spotted cucumber beetle also feeds on the nectar of

various flowering plants.

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