Colorado Beetles

[Hoddy]

Last year we had a bad infestation of colorado beetles.  Our neighbour sprayed them for us (I don't know what with) , but it seemed to make little difference. In the end I took to wearing rubber gloves and going round and squashing all the eggs and beetles I could find. This was unpleasant, back breaking and time consuming.

I want to avoid the same thing happening again if I can.

Is there anything I can do to prevent/minimise them ?

Thanks.

Hoddy

 

[duckalaronze]

We did the same last year - physically 'catching and crushing' - much to the amusement of our paysan neighbours!

They just let their guinea fowl patrol the 'potats' . . a small loss of plants but nowhere near as many dorephores as us!

Alan

[chris pp]

Me as well, pick them of in the evening as this seems to be when they are clearly visible at the top of the plants on the new growth, it doesn't seem to take too much of my time and I think that you would have to let things get extremely out of hand to actually loose a plant or three!

Chris

 

[Jeanneclaire]

Sorry this is so late, I have just been browsing the site for other information. Earlier in the year when I was researching Colorado Beetle, incase we had an infestation, I read that some where in America they use Aubergine Plants as a catch crop, because the beetle prefers the Aubergine Plant.  I know that this is too late for you this time, but hope it might help at another time.

Jeanne Claire

[saddie]

I agree that colorado beetles adore aubergines. Last year I did not grow potatoes but still had the beetles on the aubergines! This year my husband has been poorly and checking for the CBs was put on hold. The potatoes are OK they had already grown enough but I am now finding the larvae of the CB even on weeds. They may take over the world!

[chris pp]

One of the main problems with CB is that even if you normally don't have them, they fly into your garden in hot weather looking for food plants, so although you may find them almost anywhere, it is nightshade family plants that they are looking for, tomatoes, potatoes and aubergines in the veg plot and any native species nightshades that are normally found growing wild.

In warmer climates such as much of France they need to complete 3 complete life cycles to be able to overwinter in the soil, so breaking the cycle can help if you have regular infestations, either by missing potatoes one year or by only growing earlies one year. The other thing that will help is to make sure that you use the normal 4 year rotation, making sure that you move your nightshades as far as possible from where they where the previous year. Using sacrificial plants is not an option, kill every one you see and also look for the little clusters of yellow eggs and crush them.

Mulching with straw and growing potatoes under straw also helps.

Chris

[hoverfrog]

I agree that they prefer the aubergines, and now I have a sacrificial row of them - it concentrates the blighters in one place.

The only spray I have found to work is Zolone Flo, but use with caution only if the problem gets out of hand as it's an organophosphate.

Growing earlies (very early) or lates (very late!) also helps avoid the worst of them.

We seem to get more than anyone else round here, probably because my garden is open so they come in on the wind. Hedges now planted, we wait to see if it makes a difference!

[Cassis]

We had a bad attack of CB s last year as I was too busy on other things to do a regular patrol.  This year I mulched with straw following Chrispy Pea's suggestion and I've only seen one beetle.  I don't know why this is or whether it is just a coincidence.

PS The aubergines in the greenhouse have not been attacked either, possibly as they are under an extra layer of plastic film to increase the humidity, which they like.