Texas Gardening: Warning: Beetle eating blooms ..., 1 by htop

htop wrote:
Callalily, those are ugly little guys too.

frostweed, I love to do research. In college, my research papers were so long that the professors told me that I need not do twice amount of research other students did. I just don't know when to stop. :o) Thank you for your kind words.

alamoaimee, shuggins is right ... cucumber beetles are not picky about what they will eat. They will eat anything.

shuggins, cucumber beetles have munched on my petunias also.

Mary Lee, there is a fuzzy black catepillar that eats plants at night. I have had those guys mow down whole plants in one night. But, they usually eat the foliage not just the blooms. I'll have to research this problem.

Maggie, you are quite welcome. I thinl I'll try chopsticks in my beds to deter the cats. That's a great idea. Love the colorful "beetles". :o)

LindaTX8, yes, the orange oil will damage cetian plants if it is too strong and/or applied in the heat of the day. The image in my mind of toasted earthworms is pretty gross. I haven't had flea beetles yet unless the ones I am still battling are flea beetles. I think that they are larger than flea beetles. Thanks for the info about attacking tflea beetles. It will come in handy if they decide to visit my plants.

jackie, I did shed a few tears. The snapgragons were the prettiest ones I have ever grown and the bush allamanda will take a long time to produce new blooms.

sweezel, I bet those ants are afraid when they see you coming! :o)

Here's a photo of my once lovely orangish colored snapdragon after the beetle attack. The blooms are now brown amd even more ugly.


This message was edited Apr 11, 2006 2:23 PM