The Colorado potato beetle attacks potatoes, eggplants, peppers, and tomatoes skeletonizing leaves and defoliating vegetation.
Horticultural cloth draped over vegetation will exclude beetles from achieving vegetation to place eggs and feed, diatomaceous earth will spoil larvae, and the botanical poisons pyrethrum and rotenone can kill heavy infestations of adult beetles. On the other hand, where Colorado potato beetles are smartly established entire keep an eye on could also be almost about no longer conceivable; one female can lay 10,000 eggs in a season.
The Colorado potato beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineata) is yellow with black stripes on its wing covers and has dark spots merely at the back of its head. The beetle grows to â…“ inch long. The women lay orange eggs in rows on the underside of leaves. The larvae are humpbacked and plump, red with black legs and black spots on every aspect.
Colorado potato beetles have a lifestyles cycle of one to a couple of generations in keeping with year, on the other hand many adults can live for two whole years, overwintering throughout the soil. They are able to first be spotted in spring as soon as potatoes sprout throughout the garden. They are going to stay on throughout the garden by means of flowering and harvest till controlled. Every adults and larvae feed on leaves; the larvae are most voracious eaters.
There are a variety of defenses against Colorado potato beetles:
• Timed planting: Plant potatoes about one month earlier or later than you differently would possibly that manner the vegetation are each mature or have no longer however emerged at the time the beetles emerge in spring. Potatoes typically are planted in spring when the soil temperature reaches 50°F.
• Straw mulch: A thick layer of straw mulch—at least 4 inches—may just make it tricky for beetles to go looking out seedlings or vegetation.
• Row covers: Beetles may also be excluded when plants are protected by the use of row covers at planting time. Seal the edges to verify beetles cannot get in or don’t seem to be trapped right through the duvet.
• Handpicking: Beetles and larvae may also be handpicked off leaves and destroyed in can of soapy water. Check out crop leaves two instances a week for eggs, larvae, or adults. Be sure that no longer to make a choice off lady beetles or their eggs by the use of mistake; lady beetles are truly helpful to plants.
• Diatomaceous earth: Spread diatomaceous earth spherical plant stems and even on leaves. This super powdery matter subject matter made out of prehistoric sea shells will reduce up soft-bodied larvae when they transfer slowly right through it.
• Biocontrols: Apply Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) to kill small larvae. Large larvae and adults may also be killed with rotenone and pyrethrum, an impressive, on the other hand short-lived botanical poisons. Spray the ones on plants at dusk when bees are least vigorous; the toxins will break down in about six hours.
• Neem: Neem oil extract is a larvae toxin and repellent. It can be sprayed on vegetation every 4 days until the focal point of pests subsides.
