Cucumber beetle?

OzoneNY · April 26, 2017

I found a few of these in the tomato patch in the last week or so. I only have tomato plants in the garden but I thought Id ask if this is a problem and if so how do I control it?

beetle.jpg

VC Scott · April 26, 2017

I think you mean cucumber beetle. They can affect tomatoes and can be a vector of fusarium. Check out this link concerning organic methods of control.

http://articles.extension.org/pages/...arming-systems

Personally, I don't like to use pyrethrum or spinosad insecticides because they kill beneficials as well as the bad guys. For me, they are a last resort.

clkeiper · April 26, 2017

smashem. they are a problem for anybody who is growing a garden and especially melons or cukes.

**mdvpc** · April 26, 2017

I edited the title for you.

Worth1 · April 26, 2017

Quote:

Originally Posted by mdvpc

I edited the title for you.

Your are a cool dude always around to rescue us from our mistakes.

Worth

brownrexx · April 26, 2017

I have lots of trouble with cucumber beetles on my cukes. I have also seen them on my squash but never on my tomatoes. Maybe you should plant a cucumber plant or two as a trap crop. I use lots of caution with sprays because the bees really love cucumbers and squash and I really don't want to kill bees. If I used a cuke as a trap crop and then sprayed it with spinosad to kill beetles, I would pinch off the flowers to keep the bees away. The cucumber beetles are attracted to the smell of the plant not the flowers.

I have to grow a cucumber variety called County fair just to be able to harvest any cukes at all because the Bacterial Wilt that is carried by the beetles always kills the vines. This is not a disease of tomatoes though and I did not see anything about the beetles carrying Fusarium in the attached link.

**carolyn137** · April 26, 2017

It is so true that the cuke beetles,both the striped and spotted ones,can carry and transmit several diseases.

The best advice I ever got was to cover the cuke plants,especially,with floating row covers until they started to blossom,and then take it off.That way,in the time that it takes any cuke beetle to their damage,they would have time to mature the cukes, at least the ones that I grew and I grew many different kinds of cukes..

Pyrethin,made from certain daisies and organic has also been used as a preventitive.

Carolyn

RayR · April 26, 2017

I've done all the usual recommendations for year trying to control those evil cucumber beetles, nothing was anywhere near successful until I took a clue from this scientifically proven discovery.
It was not only incredibly effective, it was the cheapest and really no work either.

Read and learn
http://www.tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t=36324

Worth1 · April 26, 2017

If I had the money I would buy a new Volkswagen beetle and paint it up like a cucumber beetle.
I would call it the cucumber beetle and have that painted on it to.
Another one would be painted up like a ladybug.

Worth

OzoneNY · April 26, 2017

Quote:

Originally Posted by Worth1

If I had the money I would buy a new Volkswagen beetle and paint it up like a cucumber beetle.
I would call it the cucumber beetle and have that painted on it to.
Another one would be painted up like a ladybug.

Worth

I have 2 Volkswagen's

(not beetles)

OzoneNY · April 26, 2017

Quote:

Originally Posted by mdvpc

I edited the title for you.

I guess I typoed?

OzoneNY · April 26, 2017

So are these cucumber beetles a genuine threat to my tomato patch?

RayR · April 26, 2017

Quote:

Originally Posted by OzoneNY

So are these cucumber beetles a genuine threat to my tomato patch?

No, you might find one resting on a tomato leaf but you'll never see one dining on one.
Cucumber beetles can be vectors for Bacterial Wilt of Cucurbits and is caused by Erwinia tracheiphila, a bacteria that is deadly to some members of the Cucurbit family (not all) and is not a pathogen of Tomato plants. Bacterial Wilt of tomato (there are actually several diseases called Bacterial Wilt of tomato) are caused by completely different species of bacteria.

OzoneNY · April 27, 2017

Ok. So for now I will keep my focus on my annual war on thrips and not be distracted by the evil cucumber beetle

Thanks to all on TV

HudsonValley · April 27, 2017

I had them last year, and noticed that they also really enjoy squash and tomatillo leaves. It was such a hassle when they spread all over the yard.

I'm using an inoculant this year, but will resort to an organic garden dust (chrysanthemum-derived) if needed.

April 26, 2017	#1
OzoneNY Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: Frisco Texas Posts: 390	Cucumber beetle? I found a few of these in the tomato patch in the last week or so. I only have tomato plants in the garden but I thought Id ask if this is a problem and if so how do I control it? beetle.jpg

April 26, 2017	#3
clkeiper Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: ohio Posts: 4,350	smashem. they are a problem for anybody who is growing a garden and especially melons or cukes. __________________ carolyn k

April 26, 2017	#4
mdvpc Tomatoville® Moderator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: San Antonio, Texas Posts: 4,386	I edited the title for you. __________________ Michael

April 26, 2017	#7
carolyn137 Moderator Emeritus Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Upstate NY, zone 4b/5a Posts: 21,169	It is so true that the cuke beetles,both the striped and spotted ones,can carry and transmit several diseases. The best advice I ever got was to cover the cuke plants,especially,with floating row covers until they started to blossom,and then take it off.That way,in the time that it takes any cuke beetle to their damage,they would have time to mature the cukes, at least the ones that I grew and I grew many different kinds of cukes.. Pyrethin,made from certain daisies and organic has also been used as a preventitive. Carolyn __________________ Carolyn

April 26, 2017	#2
VC Scott Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: San Marcos, CA Posts: 352	I think you mean cucumber beetle. They can affect tomatoes and can be a vector of fusarium. Check out this link concerning organic methods of control. http://articles.extension.org/pages/...arming-systems Personally, I don't like to use pyrethrum or spinosad insecticides because they kill beneficials as well as the bad guys. For me, they are a last resort.

April 26, 2017	#6
brownrexx Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2016 Location: Southeastern PA Posts: 1,420	I have lots of trouble with cucumber beetles on my cukes. I have also seen them on my squash but never on my tomatoes. Maybe you should plant a cucumber plant or two as a trap crop. I use lots of caution with sprays because the bees really love cucumbers and squash and I really don't want to kill bees. If I used a cuke as a trap crop and then sprayed it with spinosad to kill beetles, I would pinch off the flowers to keep the bees away. The cucumber beetles are attracted to the smell of the plant not the flowers. I have to grow a cucumber variety called County fair just to be able to harvest any cukes at all because the Bacterial Wilt that is carried by the beetles always kills the vines. This is not a disease of tomatoes though and I did not see anything about the beetles carrying Fusarium in the attached link.

April 26, 2017	#8
RayR Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Cheektowaga, NY Posts: 2,466	I've done all the usual recommendations for year trying to control those evil cucumber beetles, nothing was anywhere near successful until I took a clue from this scientifically proven discovery. It was not only incredibly effective, it was the cheapest and really no work either. Read and learn http://www.tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t=36324

April 26, 2017	#9
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	If I had the money I would buy a new Volkswagen beetle and paint it up like a cucumber beetle. I would call it the cucumber beetle and have that painted on it to. Another one would be painted up like a ladybug. Worth

April 27, 2017	#14
OzoneNY Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: Frisco Texas Posts: 390	Ok. So for now I will keep my focus on my annual war on thrips and not be distracted by the evil cucumber beetle Thanks to all on TV

April 27, 2017	#15
HudsonValley Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2016 Location: Hudson Valley, NY, Zone 6a Posts: 626	I had them last year, and noticed that they also really enjoy squash and tomatillo leaves. It was such a hassle when they spread all over the yard. I'm using an inoculant this year, but will resort to an organic garden dust (chrysanthemum-derived) if needed.