Have you ever come out to your cucumber plants and they are covered in yellow beetles? If the cucumber beetle population around your plants gets too large they can destroy your plants. But you don't want to use synthetic pesticides to kill these insects. Well, you don't have to use nasty chemicals to have healthy cucumbers. Read on to learn how to get rid of cucumber beetles naturally.
What are cucumber beetles
Before we get into how to get rid of them let's first figure out what they are. Cucumber beetles are a little bigger than lady bugs and are bright yellow.
There are two different types of cucumber beetles ones with black stripes and ones with black spots. Both will eat your cucumber plants.
While cucumber beetles usually prefer cucumbers, they do like other members of the cucurbit family like zucchini and pumpkins.
Do I have too many beetles
While having too many cucumber beetles is a big problem sometimes a small population is not going to harm your plants. In fact, they can eat up to 30% of your plants without much harm and you will still get a good harvest.
I know when you start seeing holes in your plants you think they are going to die soon, but that is not always the case.
If you do not kill all of the cucumber beetles and encourage beneficial insects into your garden they will keep the population in check. Remember you have to have prey to have predators.
You should only use the following techniques if the population gets out of hand or they attack your plants when they are very young.
Picking cucumber beetles
One of the best methods (yet most labor intensive) is picking the beetles. Go out in midday when the beetles are the most active and pick them off the plant. Then plop them into a bucket of soapy water which kills them quickly.
While this is the most labor intensive way to get rid of cucumber beetles it has many benefits. First, you only kill the cucumber beetles. With other methods you can kill beneficial insects like bees but not when you are picking each bug.
It is also very effective at keeping the population in check. If you have chickens you could throw the beetles in a bucket of water instead of soapy water and feed the beetles to them.
Wood ashes
While this may sound absurd, wood ashes deter cucumber beetles and kill them. The wood ashes have to be dry to work.
To use this method make a small ring of wood ashes around the base of the plant or sprinkle it onto the plant.
The ashes draw the moisture away from the insect killing it. Just be mindful that wood ashes have a high PH (are basic) and if you add too many they can make your soil basic, so use them sparingly.
Diatomaceous earth (DE)
One of my favorite natural pesticides is DE. DE is made from crustaceans that are ground into a fine powder. You can buy the same diatomaceous earth I use here.
While the powder feels like flour it is very abrasive to small insects. If an insect gets the DE dust on them it will kill them by cutting them open (under a microscope it looks like knives).
This physical pesticide is much safer than chemical pesticides because it is totally harmless to humans. It is so safe that it is even used in some food products!
A few things to keep in mind when using DE is that it is super effective and will kill other beneficial insects as well (try to use it when it is only needed).
Do not breath in the dust as it is abrasive to the air ways. DE only works when dry; to "deactivate" it simple wet down your plants and it no longer has the ability to kill insects.
Preventative measures
To prevent cucumber beetles from eating your plants, here are some things you can do. Healthy plants can resist pests and diseases better than sick plants so focus on cucumber plant health.
Remember healthy plants start with healthy soil so use these methods to improve your soil life. Read this complete growing guide for cucumbers to keep your plants in tip top shape.
Companion planting has worked for my cucumber plants. Here are a few of my favorite companion plants for cucumbers.
- Nasturtiums are great at deterring cucumber beetles. This plant is also great to grow because it is edible and has beautiful flowers.
- Marigolds are another plant that deters pests from my cucumbers. Plant them close to your cucumbers for the full effect. Saving your marigold seeds is a great way to save money on seeds
- Radishes also keep your cucumber plants healthy. Great to plant around the base and leave to flower or harvest some.
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