Control Colorado Potato Beetles Using Natural Methods

Gardening is a wonderful hobby, and nothing is more disheartening than having pest invade and damage your garden. Here are some tips to help you keep the Colorado potato beetle out of your garden.

The adult Colorado potato beetle is a yellowish orange color. It has 10 lengthwise black stripes on the wing covers. It also has black spots on the middle section. They are about a half inch long. The larvae are a dark orange color. They are humpbacked grubs and range in length from one-sixteenth to one-half inch long. Along each side, they will have a row of black spots. The eggs are bright yellow and are laid on end in upright clusters on the undersides of leaves. They live throughout most of North America.

The beetles emerge in the spring. They then feed on potato plants as soon as the first shoots come up. Each female can lay up to one thousand eggs during their several-month live span. The eggs will hatch in four to nine days, and then the larvae will feed for two to three weeks. They pupate in the soil for another two to three weeks. They will then emerge as adults. It is possible for these beetles to produce up to three generations each growing season. This pest can overwinter several inches deep in the soil.

The Colorado potato beetle will main feed on potatoes, hence the name. But, they can also attack tomatoes and eggplants. Related plants, such as petunias, can also be used for food for this pest.

They are a potential hazard because both the adult and the larvae will chew on the leaves of the plants and stems. If the plant is young, it is quite possible it will not survive the attack. Older plants might survive the infestation if there are not large numbers of the beetles and larvae. But it is possible that even the older plants can be defoliated and eventually die.

To keep the infestations of these pests down, it is suggested to choose plant varieties that have some resistance to potato beetles. You can also mulch the plants deeply with straw or build plastic lined trenches around the potato patch. The beetles will crawl into the trench and be trapped because they will slip on the plastic and not be able to get out.

Another possible way to control the beetles is to cover any susceptible plants with floating row covers until mid-season. You can also spray Bacillus thuringiensis var. San Diego (BTSD) as soon as the eggs are present. Tilling the soil in the fall will kill any overwintering beetles.

To set traps for the beetles, try growing a crop of the Chinese lantern plants. You can plant them in containers and place them a few feet away from your potato patch. You do not want to plant them directly in the ground, however, because they can spread quickly and become invasive if not contained.

It does not really matter what type of garden pest you have, you want it gone. Hopefully, these tips will help you get rid of Colorado potato beetles and keep your garden healthy.